The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Catch Me and Anaheed are shaping up nicely for their Blue Diamond Stakes assignment with both fillies winning their barrier trial at Pakenham today.
Catch Me, above, is well forward in her preparation for the 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
Catch Me, with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle, and Anaheed, ridden by Mark Zahra, scored narrow wins in their respective 900m trial and are set to head back to the race track in the Group 3 $160,000 Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26.
Catch Me and Anaheed are both being aimed towards the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 23.
“They trialled how I wanted them to see them trial, the Blue Diamond is just around the corner on Saturday week so I wanted to see a nice trial from both fillies and I thought they delivered quite well today,” co-trainer Peter Snowden told racing.com.
“Physically there has been good improvement in them, which is what you always want to see, they were both two nice fillies before they went out and they have just got stronger this time and they look a little better for it.”
“They are both quick fillies, I’ve got no doubt they will both run 1200 metres but it is a good race to kick them off them.
“I will follow the traditional path with them, they will go from the 1000 metres to the 1100 metres and then in to the (Blue) Diamond, it is a good path and I’ve had them down here this whole preparation so they are savvy with this way of going.”
Both fillies are the winner of their only race starts with Catch Me taking out the Group 3 $160,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 29 while Anaheed recorded a four lengths win in the $125,000 Victory Vein Plate (1000m) at Randwick on October 13.
Following their runs in the Blue Diamond Preview, Snowden will line the fillies up again in the Group 2 $200,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 9 as their final outing before the Blue Diamond Stakes two weeks later.
Early betting for the 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Catch Me as the more fancied Snowden runner at $11 while Anaheed is marked at $14.
The Jason Warren trained Brooklyn Hustle heads up the Blue Diamond Stakes market order at $4 ahead of the Darren Weir trained Yes Yes Yes at $8 and the Godolphin owned pair of Tassort at $9 and Exhilarates at $10.
Early betting for the 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Brooklyn Hustle, $8 Yes Yes Yes, $9 Tassort, $10 Exhilarates, Jedastar, $11 Athiri. Catch Me, $13 Dubious, $14 Anaheed, Time To Reign, $15 Accession, Strasbourg, $17 Better Harden Up, Microphone, Unite And Conquer, $21 Battlecruiser, Bavella, Champagne Boom, Covert Ops, Espaaniyah, I Am Immortal, Shotmaker, Steal My Kisses, Sun City, Vinicunca, $ 26 or better the rest.
