Trainer Tony McEvoy has revealed that he would like to see talented filly Concealer settle closer to the speed when she contests the 2016 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Concealer is one of the leading chances in the 2016 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Concealer was settled midfield when she made her racing debut with a win in the Group 3 Emirates Airline Plate (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, but she was forced to settle at the tail of the field before she ran home strongly to finish second in the Group 2 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on February 13.
McEvoy told Racing Ahead this morning that Concealer was only settled at the tail of the field because she missed the start in the Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude and he is confident that won’t be an issue in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes this weekend.
“She will be back,” McEvoy said.
“She is not a speed filly, she settled midfield when she won at Flemington.
“We were back far too far the other day, but the only reason that was because she just made a little mistake at the start and didn’t jump clean.
“I think that was a one off because she hasn’t had any other problems at the barriers.
“I would like to see her jump cleanly and sit in the middle somewhere.
“There will be a bit of pressure there and there will be horses jockeying for position.
“The favourite Extreme Choice – who I rate as clearly the one to beat – will roll forward, but they will be riding him to get the 1200.
“There will be enough speed in it for the horses to finish off if they are good enough.”
While McEvoy is confident that Concealer is a genuine chance of winning the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes this weekend, he believes that the daughter of Nicconi will be an even better horse as a three-year-old.
McEvoy admits that he has been surprised by what Concealer has been able to achieve as a juvenile and he feels that she will develop into a Thousand Guineas contender during the 2016 Spring Racing Carnival.
“I know a fair bit about these Nicconi’s, I have bought a lot of them over the years and they are not two-year-olds,” McEvoy said.
“I never even entered her in the Blue Diamond and the Golden Slipper when they were taken because she was a $25,000 purchase and I thought that she wouldn’t be a two-year-old.
“She has just kept stepping up, but they just keep getting better the Nicconi’s.
“She will love a mile next year and she will be a Guineas filly.”
Concealer is currently available at 2016 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes odds of $6 and he is on the third line of betting behind Extreme Choice ($3) and Flying Artie ($4.40).
