Lindsay Park has elected against running Shining Smile in this Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes, leaving Tycoon Star and Miss Celine as its two representatives in the $2 million Group 1 at Caulfield.
Shining Smile gave his trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes something to think about with his dead-heat win in Saturday’s Talindert Stakes at Flemington, but the brothers have opted to put their faith in horses whose campaigns have been geared around Victoria’s premier two-year-old event.
Written Tycoon colt Tycoon Star will hit the 1200-metre race second-up after a fourth placing in the Blue Diamond Prelude, while Miss Celine is third-up after taking in the 1000m Preview and 1100m Prelude.
Those fillies events have been the only starts for Miss Celine since winning the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) in October and Will Hayes said that victory afforded them some leeway with the daughter of Magnus.
“We framed her prep off Hayasugi, we wanted her to be peaking third-up, and as you see in her beaten margins, five-and-a-half lengths and two-and-a-half lengths, she’s a horse on the up and I think she’ll peaking on Blue Diamond Day,” Hayes said.
Miss Celine finished fourth in each of the Blue Diamond lead-ups, but Hayes is adamant the step up to 1200m will suit her more than most of her rivals.
“The way that she won the Debutant she showed us her pattern is to ride cold and come around them and that’s when she runs her best because she really does savage the line,” Hayes said.
“Up in trip is really going to be suitable.”
Tycoon Star is expected to improve significantly off his first-up fourth placing in the Blue Diamond Prelude, when he worked home from near the rear to also be beaten 2-1/2-length.
That has been his only start since two runs in spring, including a debut victory in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
“He’s another one that was very lucky to have the prizemoney under his best, so we didn’t have to win and it wasn’t a grand final,” Hayes said of the Prelude run.
“We knew from the wide gate we were going to get back, we just had to piece our way through the field, and I think with a little bit of luck he probably goes a little bit closer.
“He’s come out of it terrific and he’ll be ready to go second-up.”
Will is this week striving to become the fifth Hayes to add his name to the Blue Diamond honour roll.
Ben and JD won the race two years ago with Little Brose the season before Will joined them in partnership, while their father David won the race six times and grandfather Colin on three occasions.
