Samaready to add Golden Slipper to Blue Diamond win

Blue Diamond winner Samaready is set to head to Sydney for the Golden Slipper after she  demoralised her opposition at Caulfield today.

The Mick Price trained filly remained unbeaten when she scored one of the easiest wins in the  Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in recent times.

Samaready was sent out the $2.20 on the back of her perfect record of two wins from two starts which included a dominant win in the Group 3 $125,000 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Prelude (1200m) at Caulfield on February 11.

Today’s win is some compensation for Price who won this race in 2003 with Roedean only to have it stripped from him because of a positive swab.

Price was very emotional and was so pleased that he could share the win with jockey Craig Newitt who has stuck with Samaready for all of her wins.

The More Than Ready filly will now have a short freshen up and be set for the Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 7.

“Mission accomplished,” said Price. “She is just one of those filly that has had a perfect prep.”

Price said that Samaready handled the very hot conditions at Caulfield all too good and hinted that he might have been a bit soft on the filly in the lead up.

“We didn’t do a lot with her in her trackwork last Saturday and you can see the results with these two years old, you just have to train them a bit different. Craig rode her great. He got out at the right time, he was on the right horse, the right rider, it worked out perfect,” Price said.

“I’m wrapped to have Craig and he got on the right horse.”

Newitt had Samaready coasting coming to the home turn and got her into the clear and just powered away from the rest of the field to score by three lengths from the Gai Waterhouse trained No Looking Back who ran on well.

Armed For Action with Craig Williams on board ran a nice race to wind up in third spot another two lengths away.

“This is one of the great thrills I have had in racing. It’s a great thrill to ride this filly. She’s a tremendous filly with a great will to win,” Newitt said

“Coming to the corner I just had a lap full of horse and she travelled up behind them so sweet and when we turned for home did the traditional thing, pin the ears back, stretched her neck and away she went.”

 

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.