Numbers are whittling down for a shot at Melbourne’s premier two-year-old ace, the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
A total of 121 youngsters remains in the hunt for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
After 933 two-year-olds had been paid up as first acceptors in November, that number has dropped after third acceptances closed on Friday.
The trifecta from Wednesday’s colts and geldings Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) all remain in the hunt with winner Daumier joined by stablemate Philosopher and Peter Moody’s Rampant Lion.
Nominated under the Godolphin banner but prepared by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Daumier is one of 14 third acceptances for the blue army.
The Freedman’s, who prepared Artorius to win last year’s Blue Diamond, took out the race in 2019 for Godolphin with Lyre and besides Daumier also have Moko entered for the racing giant while Godolphin’s principal trainer James Cummings has 12 juveniles for the ownership group still in contention.
Six horses from the filly’s division of the Blue Diamond Preview remain in the hunt, although the first two across the line, Miss Roseiano and Written Swoosh, will need to pay the $55,000 final late entry fee to take their place in the Group 1 race on February 26.
Robbie Griffiths & Matthew de Kock (8) and Peter & Paul Snowden (8) both boast healthy numbers while Julius Sandhu and Matthew Ellerton’s hopes of Blue Diamond glory each rest on a single runner, Lofty Strike and Kiki Express respectively and stallions wise, I Am Invincible (12) and Snitzel (9) once again lead the way.
The Blue Diamond Stakes Series returns to Caulfield on February 12 with the Blue Diamond Preludes (1100m), featuring the Group 2 edition for fillies and the Group 3 for colts & geldings.
Current $4 favourite, Jacquinot, a stylish debut winner at Caulfield on Boxing Day, is expected to have his second start in the colts & geldings prelude.
