Five Diamonds Prelude 2023

The $1 million Five Diamonds Prelude now takes place on its own feature race meeting in mid to late October

The Five Diamonds Prelude is race for five-year-olds eyeing a run in the $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) each spring.

It was held for the first time in 2022 on The Everest Day before moving to the following weekend’s racing at Randwick in 2023 as the feature race at the meeting held on the same date as Melbourne’s Caulfield Cup Day program.

The Five Diamonds race, held in Sydney on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup, also ran for the first time in 2022.

A lucrative feature race in its own right, the Five Diamonds Prelude offers $1 million in prize money and is contested over 1500m at set weights plus penalties.

The other key event on the 2023 Five Diamonds Prelude Day card is the $160,000 Big Dance Wild Card for horses heading towards the $2 million Big Dance race run in Sydney on the same day as Flemington’s iconic Melbourne Cup race.

The Five Diamonds Prelude winner is exempt from ballot for The Five Diamonds field.

In 2022 Ellsberg became the inaugural winner of both the Five Diamonds Prelude and Five Diamonds races when completing the double.

The 2023 Five Diamonds Prelude ran on Saturday October 21, 2023 and saw the John Sargent-trained Palmetto ($21) enjoy a narrow upset by a nose on the line in a three-way photo thriller.

2023 Five Diamonds Prelude Results

The official Five Diamonds Prelude 2023 Results & Finishing Order will be provided below once the race is run and won on Saturday October 21, 2023.

2023 Five Diamonds Prelude winner Palmetto held on in a thrilling finish. Photo: Steve Hart.

• 1st: #3 Palmetto
• 2nd: #7 Detonator Jack
• 3rd: #6 Waterford

The John Sargent-trained Palmetto ($21) held strong in the centre to defeat Detonator Jack and Waterford in a thrilling three-way photo finish in the 2023 Five Diamonds Prelude results.

2023 Five Diamonds Prelude Odds

The season’s top Five Diamonds Prelude 2023 odds and betting market links will be available below as soon as open.

Five Diamonds Prelude Race Info

• Date: Saturday October 21, 2023
• Track: Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1500m
• Conditions: Five-year-olds; Set Weights with Penalties
• Status: Follow
• Prize Money: $1,000,000
• First Run: 2022

Five Diamonds Prelude Betting

Five Diamonds Prelude betting markets are led by the season’s best performing five-year-old, middle-distance horses eyeing a run in the upcoming $2 million The Five Diamonds (1800m) race.

Ellsberg (2022) completed the Five Diamonds Prelude -Five Diamonds race double when both events were contested for the first time.

Runners with a proven record at the Randwick track and a strong strike-rate in races around a mile are installed at shorter Five Diamonds Prelude odds.

Also found higher up the Five Diamonds Prelude betting odds are last start winners and proven Group 1 horses.

Ellsberg ($2.80F) won the inaugural Five Diamonds Prelude as the short-priced favourite in betting.

There was a notable upset in the second edition of the event with Palmetto saluting at Five Diamonds Prelude odds of $21.

Five Diamonds Prelude Field

The Five Diamonds race field features a quality line-up of five-year-old horses on the Five Diamonds race path.

The best out of the Five Diamonds Prelude field will continue onto the Five Diamonds at Rosehill on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup in early November.

The Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) serves as a potential lead-up into the Five Diamonds Prelude field and in 2022 Ellsberg completed the double.

The second Five Diamond Prelude winner Palmetto came off a lead-up sixth in the $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes (1400m).

The Five Diamonds Prelude final acceptances are released on the Wednesday of race week following the early nominations taken the Monday leading-up to race day.

2023 Five Diamonds Prelude Field

The official Five Diamonds Prelude 2023 field and barriers will be published in full below once final acceptances are taken by Racing NSW on the Wednesday of race week.

The 2023 Five Diamonds Prelude final field features a capacity line-up of Five Diamonds-bound five-year-olds including Chris Waller’s recent Group 3 Cameron Handicap winner Democracy Manifest coming off a fifth in the Epsom and the John O’Shea-trained Cotehele who was narrowly denied a $1.5 million victory in the Alan Brown last start.

2023 Five Diamonds Prelude Nominations

The early Five Diamonds Prelude 2023 Nominations are taken the Monday prior to the race and will be published below once confirmed.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Five Diamonds Prelude Tips

Top Five Diamonds Prelude tips include looking for proven five-year-old horses, runners with a good Randwick track record and any standout middle-distance types down in grade off a lead-up Group 1 run earlier during the carnival.

2023 Five Diamonds Prelude Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Five Diamonds Prelude 2023 betting tips and Randwick racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page for the five-year-olds to back and sack in the million-dollar showdown.

• To Win: #4 Zoumon ($18 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Going for an upset in the second edition of the Five Diamonds and have the resuming Zouman on top at close to $20 at time of publish. That is an enormous price for such a talented galloper, even considering the 1500m distance is likely a little short for him. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Zoustar gelding won three on the trot last prep all at Listed level. That included the Caloundra Cup (2400m). At his latest he was enormous with 58.5kg posting a two-length Grafton Cup victory in July. He has looked the goods in two recent lead-up Randwick trials, has a decent fresh record, and looks overs. If he can stick on and not be outsprinted at the 1500m, he is a big chance for the upset.

Five Diamonds Prelude Form Guide

The Five Diamonds Prelude form guide features all the info punters need to place a well-informed wager on the 1500m showdown including the saddlecloth number, barrier, trainer and jockey of all the runners in the field.

The 2022 Five Diamonds Prelude form was franked with Ellsberg going on to win the Five Diamonds at his next start. The form was further franked by the runner-up Sibaaq who raced next-up on Melbourne Cup Day in Sydney’s $2 million The Big Dance finishing third before a second in the Five Diamonds trifecta.

2023 Five Diamonds Prelude Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Five Diamonds Prelude 2023 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Five Diamonds Prelude Results

The Five Diamonds Prelude race results and finishing order are announced once the Sydney feature runs on the same day Melbourne hosts its Caulfield Cup Day card.

As well as the Five Diamonds Prelude winner, successful trifecta and first four you can also see the starting price and margin of all the runners as well as any scratched horses.

Five Diamonds Prelude Winners

The Five Diamonds Prelude winners starting with the inaugural race in 2022 are listed below.