Ladbrokes Tip: The Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) is a key lead-up to the autumn’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes each year
The latest edition of the Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) took place on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Caulfield Racecourse and saw the Danny O’Brien-trained debutant Closer To Free ($13) lead all-the-way to score a big upset fresh ahead of the Group 1 Blue Diamond on February 21.
2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Results
The official Blue Diamond Prelude Results for the colts’ and geldings’ edition of the race will be known on Saturday, February 7, 2026 and published in full below.
- #7 Closer To Free
- #3 Guest House
- #2 Eternal Warrior
Danny O’Brien’s recent impressive trial winner Closer to Free ($13) was huge on debut at Caulfield leading from barrier to box off a confident Michael Dee ride to score an upset win fresh in the 2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) results. The Street Boss colt easily put his rivals to bed with a big on pace performance to beat the favourite Guest House by a length and firm notably in from $67 to $7 in all-in Blue Diamond Stakes betting for the Feb 21 feature.
2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Odds & Results
The updated Blue Diamond Prelude 2026 odds for the Group 3 boys’ edition will be available below once markets are released followed by the official Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) results and finishing order after the event.
| 7. Closer To Free (7) J: Michael Dee 57kg T: Danny O'brien | ||
| 3. Guest House (6) J: Jamie Melham 57kg 1T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | ||
| 2. Eternal Warrior (8) J: Damian Lane 57kg 1xT: Lloyd Kennewell | ||
| 4. Stretan Ruler (3) J: Lachlan Neindorf 57kg 2xT: Phillip Stokes | ||
| 6. High Alert (5) J: Craig Williams 57kg 4T: Anthony & Sam Freedman | ||
| 1. Eurocanto (2) J: Luke Currie 57kg 1xT: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 5. Invicto (4) J: Ethan Brown 57kg 3T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 8. March On By (1) J: Jordan Childs 57kg T: Simon Zahra |
Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Tips
Looking for the juveniles that ran well in the BD Preview earlier in the autumn or that come off a good trial ahead of a new season return are good Blue Diamond Prelude tips.
Favourites have a good strike-rate in the race so those at single-figures make a good tip.
Hanseatic ($2.30 in 2020) and General Beau ($3.10 in 2021) went back-to-back for the favourite backers in the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) results in recent times.
2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) Tips
Our insider Blue Diamond Prelude Tips for Colts & Geldings in 2026 will be published below the week of the race so stay tuned.
| 3. Guest House (6) J: Jamie Melham 57kg 1T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
| 2. Eternal Warrior (8) J: Damian Lane 57kg 1xT: Lloyd Kennewell |
| 5. Invicto (4) J: Ethan Brown 57kg 3T: Ciaron Maher |
First held in 1982 and holding Group 3 status since 1986, the event was previously run on the same day as the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) before the Orr was moved to November in 2025, but it remains one of the key support acts on the new-look Rubiton Stakes Day card along with the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies).
Offering $350,000 in prize money, the 1100m sprint is run at set weights and serves as the major final lead-up for juveniles targeting the Group 1 $2 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) back at the track a fortnight later.
Four youngsters have completed the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) – Blue Diamond Stakes double throughout history with Rancher (1982), Bel Esprit (2002), Sepoy (2011), and most recently Written By (2018).
More recently the 2020 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Hanseatic improved off a lead-up win in the Blue Diamond Preview and went on to run second in that year’s Blue Diamond Stakes results.
In 2022 the Blue Diamond Stakes was won by the third placegetter in the Colts & Geldings Prelude, Daumier.
In 2025 the Blue Diamond Prelude runner-up Devil Night went on to score an upset Blue Diamond Stakes win at double-figures at his next start.
Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) Betting
Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude betting markets open after the final acceptances are out on the Wednesday before the race runs at Caulfield, the opening Group 1 race meeting of the Melbourne Festival of Racing each autumn.
The two-year-olds that ran well in the Blue Diamond Preview the month before over 100m less in Melbourne usually dominated the Blue Diamond Prelude odds. The Blue Diamond Preview – Prelude double for colts and geldings has recently been achieved by I Am Immortal (2019), Hanseatic (2020), and General Beau (2021).
The results of the Prelude always have an impact on the upcoming Blue Diamond Stakes odds as well and the double is a popular one with punters each year.
Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Field
The Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude race field attracts the best young male sprinters getting about for the season.
The majority of the two-year-olds in the mix are looking to back-up two weeks later in the Blue Diamond Stakes over 100m further, and most come off an earlier autumn run in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) in late January.
If not the Blue Diamond Preview, the colts and geldings lining-up in the Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) field are first-up for the autumn or could even be on debut.
Barber (2023), who won the spring’s $1 million Golden Gift in Sydney, the Team Snowden-trained Bodyguard (2024) and the Danny O’Brien-trained debutant Closer To Free (2026) are the latest first-up Blue Diamond Prelude winners.
The Blue Diamond Prelude nominations are taken the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with the final field and barrier draw out on the Wednesday.
2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Field
The Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) final field and barrier draw for 2026 will be released on the Wednesday before race day and published below.
The Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) 2026 field features a small line-up of promising 2YOs including the Listed Maribyrnong Trial winner Eurocanto and the also resuming Eternal Warrior who won the spring’s Merson Cooper Stakes here at the Caulfield track.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Eurocanto
J: Luke Currie
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
1x | C | 2 | 57kg | |
|
2. Eternal Warrior
J: Damian Lane
T: Lloyd Kennewell |
1x | C | 8 | 57kg | |
|
3. Guest House
J: Jamie Melham
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
1 | C | 6 | 57kg | |
|
4. Stretan Ruler
J: Lachlan Neindorf
T: Phillip Stokes |
2x | C | 3 | 57kg | |
|
5. Invicto
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ciaron Maher |
3 | C | 4 | 57kg | |
|
6. High Alert
J: Craig Williams
T: Anthony & Sam Freedman |
4 | C | 5 | 57kg | |
|
7. Closer To Free
J: Michael Dee
T: Danny O'brien |
C | 7 | 57kg | ||
|
8. March On By
J: Jordan Childs
T: Simon Zahra |
C | 1 | 57kg |
2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Nominations
The early Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude Nominations close the Monday of race week and will be published in full below once announced by Racing Victoria.
2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) nominations extended until 10:00am (AEDT) – 03/02/2026
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | ALIBABA | C | 2 | Ken & Kasey Keys | |
| 2 | CLOSER TO FREE | C | 2 | Danny O’Brien | ||
| 3 | 1x | ETERNAL WARRIOR | C | 2 | Lloyd Kennewell | |
| 4 | 1x | EUROCANTO | C | 2 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | |
| 5 | 1 | GUEST HOUSE | C | 2 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 6 | 9x | HARRY MET SALLY | G | 2 | Mark Walker | |
| 7 | 4 | HIGH ALERT | C | 2 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
| 8 | 3 | INVICTO | C | 2 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 9 | MARCH ON BY | C | 2 | Simon Zahra | ||
| 10 | 12 | MILSONS POINT | C | 2 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 11 | 0x | RICH ON BUBBLES | G | 2 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | |
| 12 | SHAH JAHAN | G | 2 | Ciaron Maher | ||
| 13 | 2x | STRETAN RULER | C | 2 | Phillip Stokes |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Form Guide
The Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) form guide features all the must-know information for punters including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of all the juveniles in the field.
Looking for the males that are dominant in betting, drawn an inside alley and coming off a nice lead-up in a race like the Blue Diamond Preview are all important form-wise.
The Blue Diamond Prelude form has stacked up in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes many times over the years as well as in other upcoming Group 1 autumn racing features for two-year-olds.
In 2021 Anamoe finished runner-up in the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) before a third in the Blue Diamond Stakes. He also ran second in Sydney’s iconic Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes and won the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) that autumn. He returned in the spring headlined and was dominant, including winning the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas over a mile and finishing a devastatingly close photo-finish second in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley.
The 2022 Blue Diamond Prelude form was franked with Daumier improving on a third to win the Blue Diamond Stakes next-up before finishing fourth behind star filly Fireburn in both the Golden Slipper and Inglis Sires’ that year.
The 2023 Blue Diamond winner, Little Brose, came via a lead-up second in that year’s Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) as did Devil Night in 2025.
2026 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude Form Guide
A link to our comprehensive Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) 2026 Form Guide will be available below the week of the race.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 BLUE DIAMOND PRELUDE (C&G) FORM GUIDE
Past Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Results
The Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) race results have been dominated by single figure hopes in recent years and many have gone on to be outstanding stallions and sires.
Notable recent Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) winners include Danzero (1994), Flying Spur (1995), Lonhro (2001), Bel Esprit (2002), Sepoy (2011), Flying Artie (2016), and Written By (2018).
Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) Winners
Past Blue Diamond Prelude winning colts and geldings along with the placegetters each year going back to 1988 are detailed in the below table.
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2026 | Closer To Free | Guest House | Eternal Warrior |
| 2025 | Field Of Play | Devil Night | Katsumi |
| 2024 | Bodyguard | Stay Focused | Holmes A Court |
| 2023 | Barber | Little Brose | Corniche |
| 2022 | Lofty Strike | Semillion | Daumier |
| 2021 | General Beau | Anamoe | Jigsaw |
| 2020 | Hanseatic | Rulership | Rathlin |
| 2019 | I Am Immortal | Shotmaker | Hawker Hurricane |
| 2018 | Written By | Plague Stone | Native Soldier |
| 2017 | Property | Pariah | Wait For No One |
| 2016 | Flying Artie | Star Turn | China Dream |
| 2015 | Of The Brave | Pride Of Dubai | Sampeah |
| 2014 | Rubick | Jabali | Chivalry |
| 2013 | Kuroshio | The Bowler | Dissident |
| 2012 | General Rippa | Rusambo | Ferment |
| 2011 | Sepoy | Running Tall | Huegill |
| 2010 | Beneteau | General Truce | The Greatandthegood |
| 2009 | Real Saga | Reward For Effort | Starspangledbanner |
| 2008 | Wilander | Exceedingly Good | Minnesota Shark |
| 2007 | Shrewd Rhythm | Zizou | Victory Chant |
| 2006 | Due Sasso | Wonderful World | Swinging Bachelor |
| 2005 | Perfectly Ready | The Rhine | Bradbury’s Luck |
| 2004 | Way West | Oratorio | Sanziro |
| 2003 | Hammerbeam | Murphy’s Blu Boy | Scaredee Cat |
| 2002 | Bel Esprit | Cool Trent | Step Ahead |
| 2001 | Lonhro | Niewand | Tosamba |
| 2000 | Happy Giggle | Lord Dane | Sparks |
| 1999 | Charm Scene Land | Real Jester | Cullen |
| 1998 | Prowl | Shovhog | Special Edition |
| 1997 | Millward | Evader | Sports |
| 1996 | Winger Charger | Polish Native | Red Rascal |
| 1995 | Flying Spur | Shaded | Backgammon |
| 1994 | Danzero | Western Beat | Cannibal King |
| 1993 | Alacqua | St Rory | Pride Of Rancho |
| 1992 | Yachtie | Just Juan | Landsdowne Road |
| 1991 | Chief Headhunter | Group Decision | Noble Lancer |
| 1990 | Unspoken Word | Trustful | Satellite Bay |
| 1989 | Ark Regal | Mabrook | High Waters |
| 1988 | Nanutarra | King’s High | My Bright Boy |
FAQ
Who won the 2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G)?
The 2026 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) was won by two-year-old Street Boss colt Closer To Free at $13 on debut for trainer Danny O’Brien with jockey Michael Dee aboard from barrier 7 on 57kg to lead all-the-way and win by a length in a time of 1:03.10.
Who won the 2025 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G)?
The 2025 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) was won by Field Of Play at $2.90 for Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young with Blake Shinn in the saddle.
When is the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) 2026?
Saturday, February 7, 2026What is the prize money for the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) 2026?
$350,000
Where is the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) 2026?
Caulfield Racecourse, Gate 22, Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145.
How do I bet on the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G)?
Bet online or via the latest iOS/Android apps with Ladbrokes.
The first step is to create an account at ladbrokes.com.au. The process is quick and easy!
Once you've created your account you can make a deposit via credit card, or any other of our secure payment methods. Next up, head to the racing page and find the race and runner that's right for you.
Which horse will win the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G)?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) is to take into account the form, assess the barriers, and consider the weight the horse will carry (among other factors). Check out ladbrokes.com.au in the lead up to the race for full form information.