The Powerful Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable will saddle up six juveniles in the 2020 Group 1 $1.5m Ned Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday following the release of the final field today.

Away Game, above, is one of six runners in the 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. Photo by Steve Hart.

Away Game, above, is one of six runners in the 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. Photo by Steve Hart.

Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Away Game heads up the Maher and Eustace Team that also includes Ideas Man, Rathlin, Tanker, A Beautful Night and Munraseera in the sixteen horse Blue Diamond Stakes field.

In-form Melbourne jockey Jye McNeil will be the third rider in three starts for Away Game after Luke Currie steered her to victory in the $2m The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 11 and then English jockey Tom Marquand claimed the spoils in winning the Group 3 $160,000 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on February 1.

Marquand became unavailable for the ride on Away Game after he headed back home to England this week while Currie will be aboard the Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Hanseatic for trainer Anthony Freedman.

Freedman and Currie are looking to score back to back wins in the Blue Diamond Stakes after combining to win with Lyre twelve months ago.

Hanseatic remains undefeated from three starts after running down the Peter and Paul  Snowden trained Rulership to win the Group 3 $200,000 Neds Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8 and the pair will clash again in Saturday’s $1.5m feature for the two year olds.

“He (Hanseatic) is a hot horse but that was the first time I saw him the other day but I know he’s definitely got talent to be able to do what he did,” Peter Snowden told Racenet.

“He’ll (Rulership) get a lot of benefit out of seeing Caulfield. Not just that but getting another run and (jockey) Mark (Zahra) has a feel for him now, which is good.

“He’s got a good demeanour and he’s going to give himself every chance to run the trip because he doesn’t pull. He switches off.

“His biggest attribute is his demeanour.”

Henseatic heads the Blue Diamond Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au at $2.30 ahead of Rulership at $6 and the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young trained Letzbeglam at $8.50.

Betting for the 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.30 Hanseatic, $6 Rulership, $8.50 Letzbeglam, $10 Muntaseera, $11 Away Game, $15 Rathlin, $16 Tagaloa, $17 Personal, $26 Aryaaf, $34 A Beautiful Night, $41 Tanker, $51 Ideas Man, Riverina Storm, $81 Glenfiddich, $101 Fayerra, $201 Difficult.

Final field for the 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Weight Hcp Rating
1 1×5 IDEAS MAN Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Damian Lane 56.5kg 72
2 1×11 HANSEATIC Anthony Freedman Luke Currie 56.5kg 84
3 72163 RATHLIN Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Ben Melham 56.5kg 74
4 15×86 TANKER Ciaron Maher & David Eustace John Allen 56.5kg 72
5 31×4 TAGALOA Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Michael Walker 56.5kg 70
6 12 RULERSHIP Peter & Paul Snowden Mark Zahra 56.5kg 76
7 59×25 GLENFIDDICH Robbie Griffiths Glen Boss 56.5kg 67
8 4111 AWAY GAME Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jye McNeil 54.5kg 78
9 2116 A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Ms Linda Meech 54.5kg 76
10 1×2 ARYAAF David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Luke Nolen 54.5kg 78
11 11 LETZBEGLAM Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Brett Prebble 54.5kg 76
12 21×2 MUNTASEERA Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Damien Oliver 54.5kg 72
13 21 PERSONAL David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Craig Williams 54.5kg 68
14 14 RIVERINA STORM David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Dwayne Dunn 54.5kg 63
15 44 FAYERRA Anthony Cummings Michael Dee 54.5kg 62
16 8×6 DIFFICULT John Moloney Jordan Childs 54.5kg 60

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.