Trainer Tony McEvoy believes that Jimando will continue to stake his claim to Blue Diamond Stakes favouritism when he competes in the Listed Emirates Airlines Stakes at Caulfield tomorrow.

Jimando won his only race start this far when running in the Listed Inglis Debutante Stakes last October, which he won by three and a half lengths.

McEvoy had originally opted to run Jimando first-up in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes, but decided to give him a warm up run in tomorrow’s Emirates Airline Stakes.

“I strongly considered running in the Diamond first up, that’s what I think of his capacity to run the ground no problems,” McEvoy said.

“But because he’s done so well and he’s a big lump of a two-year-old I thought we’d run him first.”

The trainer admitted he was pleasantly surprised when Jimando won on debut by such a commanding margin.

“Babies normally make a few mistakes and they don’t quite take what you know of them to the races but he actually went to the races and took it up another stage,” he said.

“That was the best I’d ever seen him go on the day.”

McEvoy has engaged jockey Blake Shinn to ride Jimando in both tomorrow’s race and the Blue Diamond Stakes on February 25.

Jimando’s race style will be entirely in the jockey’s capable hands.

“He’ll be forward. He’s got speed and I’ll leave it to Blake,” McEvoy said.

“If there’s no pressure he could lead and if there’s pressure he could just follow.”

Jimando was purchased for $50,000 from the 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $50,000 and has since won more than $60,000 in prize money.