Craig Williams’ mount Catchy remains the favourite in the betting for the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday despite drawing barrier thirteen in the sixteen horse field plus one emergency.
Jockey Craig Williams, above, rides Catchy in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Ladbrokes.com.au have Catchy at $5.50 at the top of the market order for the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes, slightly ahead of Property and Sydney colt Pariah at $6.
Sharing the next line of betting at $8 is the Cairon Maher trained Jukebox and Catchy’s stablemate Formality while Tulip is the only other runner under the $10 mark at $9.
Catchy is one of six runners the Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have qualified for the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes and David Hayes is chasing his sixth win in the race after saddling up the winner on five previous occasions before he formed a training partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom.
Lindsay Park’s other runners are Wait For No One (Regan Bayliss, barrier 10), Muraahib (Steven Arnold, 15), Will’s Bid (Damian Lane, 16), Formality (Ryan Moore, 12) and Tulip (Damien Oliver, 8).
“They are feeling good. They have worked well and are sound,” Hayes told The Daily Telegraph.
“I’m in a better place than if I’ve got no runners.
“My three fillies (Catchy, Formality and Tulip) have done everything right going into a Blue Diamond.”
“Muraahib has won both of his starts with his head on his chest and Wait For No One was beaten just under a length in the Prelude.”
“He’s (Will’s Bid) a hard one to judge, but I know he’s a very good horse and shouldn’t be at those odds.”
The Robert Smerdon trained Property was on Williams’ short list to ride in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes after he steered the Starcraft gelding to victory in the Listed $150,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) (1000m) on January 26 and in the Group 3 $200,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) on February 11, both at Caulfield.
Williams ended up deciding to stick with the Lindsay Park trained Catchy who he also rode to victory on three occasions with wins in a 1000m 2yo Plate at Moonee Valley on December 9, in an 1100m 2yo Plate at Caulfield on January 7 and in the Group 2 $200,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (F) (1100m) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 11.
Team Snowden decided to target the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes with Pariah after the colt won on debut in the Group 3 $150,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on January 28.
Pariah then lined up in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude for the colts and gelding and ran home from the back in the field to run second to Property with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.
Pariah has drawn awkwardly at barrier eleven with Blake Shinn taking over from McEvoy who rides $21 chance Azazel who has drawn the rails.
Trainer Ciaron Maher is very happy with Jukebox’s barrier draw and can see Luke Nolen giving the Snitzel colt the perfect from gate four.
“Pretty happy with him” Maher said.
“Four is perfect. It is an even lot of horses I reckon it would be an advantage to posy up handily in the one one.”
Early market order for Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5.50 Catchy, $6 Property, Pariah, $8 Jukebox, Formality, $9 Tulip, $17 Roomooz, $21 Azazel, Taking Aim, Muraahib, $26 Wait For No One, Cao Cao, $41 Aspect, Blondie, $51 Will’s Bid, Spoils, $67 Sheer Madness.
