Co-trainer Peter Snowden is confident that the step-up to 1800 metres will suit Diamond Valores in the 2014 Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Diamond Valores will take on Godolphin colt Sweynesse in the 2014 Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Diamond Valores recorded two wins from three starts since making his racing debut with a win at Canterbury on August 6 and he worked home strongly in the final stages of the Quaddie Handicap (1600) at Warwick Farm on September 10 to finish second behind Hollywood Bound.
Snowden told Sky Racing HQ that Diamond Valores, who has been included in the nominations for the 2014 Spring Champion Stakes, has been looking for a step-up in trip and the leading trainer is confident that the Tavistock gelding will equit himself well when he makes his debut at Group level in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) this weekend.
“Diamond Valores has been looking for this sort of trip and in his three runs he has been stretched from 1200 to 1550 to a mile,” Snowden said.
“I didn’t go to Newcastle with him because I wanted to give him a couple of weeks before I ran him again and I didn’t want to back him up after a week or a half.
“He is a big horse in his first preparation and I didn’t want to overtax him, but he looks great, probably the best since I have had him.
“His work has been good and I have added blinkers to his gear because I think that will just help him a little bit more.
“He did a few things wrong at Warwick Farm last start, but I think that will correct him for Saturday and he should run well.”
The 2014 Gloaming Stakes field was released by Racing New South Wales and Diamond Valores will face just six rivals in the Group 3 event.
Godolphin colt Sweynesse has recorded three wins from as many starts since making his racing debut at Kembla Grange in May and will be chasing his second win at Group level in the Gloaming Stakes after taking out the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle last Wednesday.
Another talented colt that has been included in the Gloaming Stakes field is Gai Waterhouse-trained Valentia, who finished an unlucky third in the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick on August 23 before finishing fifth in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) at the same venue on September 6.
The Gloaming Stakes field is rounded out by Allan Denham-trained Pounamu, promising colt Road To Shangri La, Paul Perry-trained Lord Beckworth and Hawkesbury-based Forbidden Jewel.
