The 2019 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes field is packed full of talent and we are set for a highly competitive edition of the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
It is Chairman’s Stakes winner Loving Gaby that is currently on top of our Blue Diamond Stakes betting market, but this is a field with plenty of depth and there is very little between the leading contenders.
Who will prevail in this competitive Group 1 event?
We have analysed the entire field and our complete 2019 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes tips can be found below.
I Am Immortal
I Am Immortal has done nothing wrong during his racing career to date and he goes into the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes on the back of impressive wins in both the Blue Diamond Preview and the Blue Diamond Prelude. There is no doubt that I Am Immortal was looking for the line in the final stages of his win in the Blue Diamond Prelude and there has to be a serious question mark over his ability to run out a strong 1200 metres in a race of this quality.
Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane won the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic at Ballarat in November last year and he ran the best closing sectionals when he finished third behind I Am Immortal and Shotmaker in the Blue Diamond Prelude. He does give the impression that he will have no trouble handling the step-up to 1200 metres and he will take benefit from that run. He is definitely not the worst chance at $12.
Free Of Debt
Free Of Debt is another horse that comes into the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes with an unbeaten record. He won on debut at Morphettville before he proved too strong at Flemington, but there is no doubt that this is a genuine step-up in quality. He would need to improve significantly on what he has shown to date to be a genuine winning chance.
Shotmaker
Shotmaker could hardly have been more impressive in his racing debut. He stormed home in the final stages of the Blue Diamond Prelude to finish second behind I Am Immortal and there is no doubt that he will benefit from that raceday experience. The wide barrier draw isn’t ideal and it means that he will have to get a long way back in the run, but I still think that he might be the best chance of the colts and geldings.
Game Keeper
Game Keeper started his racing career with fairly flat performances at Geelong and Flemington before he broke through for a maiden race win at Ladbrokes Park last start. That was a fairly weak field and the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes is a far stronger contest.
Catch Me
It is tough to know what to think about Catch Me. She looked like a star in the making when she won both the Gimcrack Stakes and the Blue Diamond Preview, but she flopped badly as favourite in the Blue Diamond Prelude last start. She definitely has the talent to be right in this contest, but it is tough to have any confidence in her based off her last start effort.
Lyre
Lyre is the horse to beat in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes and she is great value at her current quote. She ran the fastest 1000 metres, 800 metres, 600 metres, 400 metres and 200 metres in the Blue Diamond Prelude and she still ran a faster overall time than I Am Immortal. Her last 1000 metres was the fourth quickest of the entire meeting and the Lonhro filly still has the upside to improve. She maps to get a lovely run in transit from barrier five and she should have every possible chance.
Vinicunca
Vinicunca made her racing debut with a win in the Maribyrnong Plate and she was definitely not disgraced when she finished a tough second behind Lyre in the Blue Diamond Prelude. Stephen Baster should be able to take her to the front in the early stages of this contest and she should take good benefit from that tough run. Gai Waterhouse is desperate to win a Blue Diamond Stakes and Vinicunca is a better chance than the current price of $13 suggests.
Bella Rosa
Bella Rosa has been freshened-up since she chased home stablemate Loving Gaby in the Chairman’s Stakes. She wasn’t particularly strong through the line in that contest and she is another horse in this field that I feel may be a question mark over 1000 metres. $17 does seem around the right price.
Loving Gaby
Loving Gaby is on top of our Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes betting market, but I can’t get her anywhere near as short as her current quote. There is no doubt that she was visually impressive when she won on debut in the Chairman’s Stakes, but the time wasn’t overly quick and she would need to improve to have be a genuine chance in the Blue Diamond Stakes. She might just be a freak that is capable of taking the next step, but on what she has produced to date, I can’t get her anywhere as short as her current price.
Athiri
Athiri stamped herself as potential Blue Diamond Stakes contender with an impressive win over Accession at Rosehill Gardens on debut and she was tough when she finished third behind Lyre and Vinicunca in the Blue Diamond Prelude. She didn’t have a great deal of luck in the run and wasn’t given the best ride by Damien Lane. Craig Williams jumps into the saddle, but she has drawn wide once again and she will need plenty of luck in running.
Lankan Star
Lankan Star recorded an impressive maiden win at The Valley two starts ago and she wasn’t disgraced in the Blue Diamond Prelude. In saying that, she was still beaten by more than two lengths and she would need to find a couple of lengths of improvement to be a genuine winning chance in this contest.
Brooklyn Hustle
Brooklyn Hustle is another filly in this field that I feel may be a touch overrated by the Blue Diamond Stakes betting market. Her win on debut at The Valley was impressive and she was a touch unlucky in the Blue Diamond Prelude, but I still think that she was a touch entitled to hit the line better than she did. I am happy to take her on at the current price.
Andrassy Avenue
Andrassy Avenue won at The Valley last start, but before that she was comfortably beaten by Catch Me in the Blue Diamond Preview. That performance suggests that she would need to improve significantly to be a genuine winning chance in a race of this quality.