Blue Diamond hopes for two-year-old filly Spoils will be put to the test again when the two-year-old runs in the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield.
Spoils finished a close second on debut in the Debutant Stakes in October before returning with a fourth placing in the Blue Diamond fillies Preview (1000m) last Thursday.
Trainer Clinton McDonald is set to run the filly again in Saturday’s Group Three race for juveniles over 1000m and is confident the youngster has improved fitness-wise since the Preview when beaten just under two lengths by Limestone.
“She didn’t have a great run, just the way the race panned out,” McDonald said.
“She probably wasn’t fit enough for the run that she had and she raced a little bit fresh. This race is on a nine-day turnaround which is perfect and she has really come on from the run.
“She’s going to go out to Sandown for a gallop tomorrow and we’ll run her on Saturday.”
A crack at the Group One Blue Diamond (1200m) three weeks later is on the radar for Spoils so long as her performance on Saturday warrants it.
“We’re going a nine-day back up and then three weeks into the Diamond,” McDonald said.
“Obviously she would want to be impressive in her next start to justify running.”
Ben Melham will take the ride on Saturday and McDonald believes the filly will be suited if she is able to get some cover.
From barrier eight of 10 in the Preview she ended up without cover and was in the firing line around the home turn.
She hit the front early in the straight before quality fillies Limestone and Tulip swept past her, along with the fast-finishing third-placed Chateau Griffo.
“She was very fresh the other day and she raced fresh,” McDonald said.
“I think she’ll be better when she gets a bit of cover, so I’m just hoping that run has taken a bit of fire out of her and hopefully she can draw a barrier and get a little bit of cover.”
The Chairman’s Stakes, won last year by subsequent Blue Diamond winner Extreme Choice, has attracted 18 nominations including Maribyrnong Plate winner Aspect and impressive Werribee debut winner Formality.
The other juvenile race on the program is the $250,000 Inglis Premier (1200m) which has 14 nominations including the Ciaron Maher-trained debut winner Jukebox.
