Apprentice Lauren Stojakovic is still in the box seat to ride Miracles Of Life in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 23.
Lauren Stojakovic is still in the box seat to partner Miracles Of Life in the Blue Diamond Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Trainer Daniel Clarken said that no rider has been confirmed for the Blue Diamond favourite but said that Stojakovic has a great chance of retaining the ride after producing a faultless display on Miracles Of Life in winning the Listed $120,000 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Preview for Fillies (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26.
“I would think Lauren would probably keep the ride, but that decision hasn’t been made yet,” Clarken added.
Clarken said that he had been inundated with offers to ride Miracles Of Life but won’t be rushed into making a decision.
“There is a lot of water to go under the bridge yet and we haven’t made a decision about a rider yet,” Clarken said.
“We’ve had plenty of jockeys put their hand up for the ride but I can tell you we haven’t confirmed anyone.”
Stojakovic has been aboard Miracles Of Life for three wins from three starts with a total winning margin of almost nineteen lengths.
The Adelaide trained two year old won twice at Morphettville before heading to Caulfield where she continued her winning run with a powerful finish to beat her Blue Diamond Preview opponents by more than four lengths.
Clarken took Miracles Of Life back to Adelaide where she has had a week of swimming before heading back to the training track.
“She’s had a lovely week in the pool and she had a little trot and canter this morning and looked great and felt terrific,” Clarken said.
Connections have agreed to pay the $55,000 Blue Diamond late entry fee but will wait until the February 18 deadline.
“We don’t have to pay it until the 18th of February, by which time we will have given her a few gallops and we’ll know exactly how she is going,” Clarken said.
Miracles Of Life is still a clear cut Blue Diamond favourite at $3.20 ahead of Peter Snowden’s fillies Guelph at $6 and Metastasio at $7 with the Street Cry filly also needing connections to pay the late entry fee.
Peter Moody’s Thermal Current is next in the market at $8 after an unlucky third at Caulfield on Australia Day while Robert Smerdon’s filly Politeness is at $9.50 but will take plenty of benefit from her unplaced effort as a short priced favourite at Moonee Valley last Friday night.
Snowden still considers his Warwick Farm winner Guelph his pick over Metastasio even though she remained undefeated from two starts after her easy three length win at Caulfield on Saturday in the Listed $120,000 PFD Food Services Chairman’s Stakes (1100m).
“When you see her next week you will understand, she is a massive, big, strong filly,” Snowden said referring to Guelph.
“She is a good athlete with a great turn of foot. She is all class.”
Guelph is one of eleven fillies nominated for Saturday’s Group 3 $150,000 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) (1100m) at Caulfield while Moody’s two colts Dissident and Thermal Current are among the twelve entries for the colts and geldings Prelude.
