Jockey Jordan Childs knows what is required to win the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and believes The Instructor has the credentials to give him a second win in Melbourne’s premier two-year-old race.
Childs won the Blue Diamond in 2018 aboard Written By and said after The Instructor won the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for colts and geldings at Sandown on Thursday there was similarities between the pair.
Sent out the $2.15 favourite, The Instructor led throughout in scoring a 1-¼ length win over Corniche ($10) with Scorsese ($16) a half-length away third.
Childs rode Written By to win his first three starts, culminating in the Blue Diamond Stakes while the jockey partnered The Instructor to win at Pakenham on debut on January 12.
The Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Sandown on February 11 is next on the agenda for The Instructor, a race Written By won, in the lead-up to the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) which will be run at Sandown on February 25.
“He’s probably a similar sort of build, maybe a little smaller, but he’s fast and strong, so there is some sort of similarity,” Childs said of The Instructor.
“He’s definitely heading in the right direction. It’s obviously a step up again on today, but he’s proven.
“The 1200 metres might actually suit him. He won’t get pressured the whole way, even though the Blue Diamond is a high-pressure race.”
The Instructor is prepared by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Childs has been having a good run of success with the stable.
He said The Instructor was very professional in what he has shown to date.
“You have to be positive with him out of the gates to get him up into gear, but once he’s up and cruising he comes back and relaxes for you,” Childs said.
“Every time something came up to him, he wanted to fight on and win the race.
“I think there’s improvement there, but it’s great to get another winner for Gai and Adrian. They’ve been bit supporters of mine.”
