While Darley’s filly Earthquake heads the 181 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes second acceptors, the Gerald Ryan trained Rubick is quickly attracting plenty of attention for the 2014 Group 1 $1m 1200m two year old feature at Caulfield on February 22.
Earthquake remains the favourite for the G1 Blue Diamond after 2nd acceptances. Photo by Steve Hart.
Earthquake, one of eleven two year olds remaining in the Blue Diamond list for Darley, has been at the head of the market order since her two and half lengths debut win over 1000m at Randwick on November 9.
But Ryan’s Encosta De Lago colt Rubick was quickly set upon in betting shops all over Australia after a seven and quarter length Rosehill barrier trial win over 900 on January 7 and is now in the top three in the betting.
Darley’s head trainer Peter Snowden is pleased with the progress of Earthquake who had a short break after her Randwick win and is well into her Blue Diamond preparation.
“She is coming along nicely and she is doing fast work now,” Snowden said.
“A little bit of a freshen up has done her the world of good, she has thickened a bit more and she is a bit stronger.
“I was going to send her down to Melbourne this week but she will probably go down next week and have a jump out or a trial in the last week on January.
“Her first start will be on the eighth of February.
“We are happy with her and we have worked her a few times the opposite way here in Sydney and she has been fine with that.
“Her first trial will be a good guide to how she is going to handle the other way but I don’t think that it is going to be a problem.
“She is quiet tractable, does everything right and is a very relaxed filly.”
While Ryan was quick to earmark Rubick for the Blue Diamond Stakes and the Encosta De Lago colt will kick off his autumn campaign at Randwick on January 25.
“He just lobbed along and cruised up and accelerated in the straight and it was very pleasing to see him take what I had seen him do on the track to the trial,” Ryan AAP.
“He will run at Randwick on the 25th then go to Melbourne for the Blue Diamond Prelude and the Blue Diamond.”
Top Victorian trainer David Hayes tops the number of second acceptors with twenty-five two year olds left in while Caulfield trainer Mick Price, who won the race two years ago with Samaready, still has sixteen youngsters left in after second acceptances closed.
Melbourne’s leading trainer Peter Moody was left with seven acceptors while Melbourne Cup winning trainer Gai Waterhouse still has six two year olds in contention.
Third acceptances for the Blue Diamond are due on January 28 while the final declarations for the $1 million race for the juveniles is due on February 19.
Blue Diamond Stakes market order: $4 Earthquake, $7 Chivalry, Risen From Doubt, $9 Boomwaa, Rubick, $13 Top Dolly, $14 Invisible, $15 Dezanna, $16 Lockroy, $17 Fontein Ruby, Golconda, Jabali, $18 Eloping, Piacenza, $21 Eclair Choice, Zulu Land.
