Image: Bruno Canatelli
A look at how Thursday’s Blue Diamond previews stack up against previous years
Those who envision an unbeaten Russian Revolution see Instructor as a blue diamond chance to build on what Daumier was able to do last year.
Daumier won the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Preview, a race which The Instructor won at Sandown on Thursday, before winning the Group 1 Blue Diamond.
Instructor posted a Timeform rating of 105 at Preview, two pounds better than Daumier had won in that race, although Epaulet was the colt’s first start in the race, while Instructor broke his maiden at Pakenham.
But, Preview winners who go on to win Diamond usually rate higher than the figures posted by both Daumier and The Instructor.
Bel Esprit (121 in preview) and Sepoy (117), two of the best two-year-old colts of the 21st century, may not make a fair comparison but Daumier’s preview numbers are still the highest posted by any of the six horses It was the least number of people who have won Preview and Diamond since 2000.
Reward for Effort went 110 in Preview and 122 in Diamond a year after that, Ryan scored 112 in Preview and 116 to win Diamond.
Miracles of Life is the only Blue Diamond filly’s preview winner since 2000 and she went 113+ in previews before rating 118 in Diamond.
The Spirit of Boom filly de Sonic Boom scored 103 points to win the Phillies. Preview what was his first trip to the races. This is the same mark by which Miss Roziano and Dosh won the previous two editions of the Prelude Fillies.
The highest-rated Preview winner since 2000 was Rostova, who posted a mark of 116 – which she matched in the Prelude – before being unplaced at the Reward for Efforts Diamond, while Ponton Flyer won the Miracles of Life number and after Matched Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lilly. 110 gone.
Trained by Guy Waterhouse and Adrian Bottle, Trainer tightens up at $5 and cements its place on the second row in the TAB Blue Diamond market, while D Sonic Boom has an $11 chance.
The favourite, at $4.50, is the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained King’s Gambit, who resumes in Saturday’s Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill, which will be his first start since posting a 106 Timeform figure when the Listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield in October An easy winner of .
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