Chairman’s Stakes favourite Formality on trial for Blue Diamonds Stakes

Impressive Werribee winner Formality will be on trial for the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes when she contests the Group 3 $150,000 Ladbrokes Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Craig Williams, above, will ride Formality in the Chairman's Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Craig Williams, above, will ride Formality in the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Formality led all of the way to score a four and a quarter lengths debut win in an 1100m 2yo Maiden at Werribee on January 5 and has been installed the $3 favourite for the Chairman’s Stakes at Labrokes.com.au.

While the Lindsay Park trained filly is listed as a $15 chance for the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 25.

Formality will be stepping straight up from a win in the country to Group 3 level and co-trainer Tom Dabernig said that the Fastnet Rock filly is ready to face the tougher company.

“She’ll want to be pretty near her top to be winning or running a close second to know where we are at,” Dabernig told AAP.

“But I think she’s where we want her to be.”

“She is a talented filly who only had the one start when she won impressively at Werribee. I think she can take the step up to black type level.”

“But we’ll certainly get an idea of where she is at on Saturday.

“She’s a horse that is bred to get a little bit of a trip but she’s built more like a sprinter.”

Formality has drawn barrier eight in the nine horse field with Craig Williams is taking over from Mark Zahra who will be aboard Lindsay Park’s other Chairman’s Stakes runner Feng Chu who has drawn the pole position but is one of the outsiders of the field at $16.

Feng Chu is unplaced from two race starts with a fourth in the Listed $120,000 Inglis Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on October 8 followed by a seventh in the $250,000 Inglis Banner (1000m) at Moonee Valley on October 22 but Dabernig wouldn’t be surprised to see him figure in the finish.

“He showed a bit of promise and he is first up from a spell,” Dabernig said.

“We have taken all the gear off of him. It is a really solid race but I think if he can just be balanced he will be doing his best work late.”

The Tony McEvoy trained Aspect is the second pick in the market order for the Chairman’s Stakes at $4.80 with Spoils at $5 and Time Awaits at $5.50 also prominent in the betting.

Aspect is the winner of his only race start and will be having his first run since taking out the Group 3 $150,000 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington November 5.

The Clinton McDonald trained Spoils will be fitter for her first up fourth to Limestone in the Group 3 $150,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26 while Aspect’s stablemate Time Awaits is resuming from a spell after winning a 1000m 2yo Plate at Morphettville Parks on October 1.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.