Blue Diamond Prelude Day is the final stop on the traditional path towards the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
Caulfield hosts ten races on Blue Diamond Prelude Day 2026, and with the first Group 1 meeting of the year just one week away, the fields engaged represent a perfect curtain raiser.
Check out my Caulfield best bets, including Blue Diamond Prelude tips below!
I’m going to give a fit HURRY CURRY another chance in the first on Blue Diamond Prelude Day at Caulfield.
A Group 1 placegetter in the 2024 VRC Oaks, Hurry Curry has steadily built to the task this time in and has finished a credible fourth in races at Flemington and Pakenham at her two most recent starts.
In peak order this week and sticking at the 2000m, she gets some relief in the weights and should get her chance in this small field.
| 6. Hurry Curry (2) J: Jackson Radley 59.5kg 36044 T: Danny O’brien |
We stuck with SUNTORA when she stormed back into winning form here at Caulfield a fortnight ago and the VOBIS Gold Heath looks another nice race for her.
Suntora has undoubtedly gone to a new level this time in, winning races at Caulfield and Pakenham in November and December, while she was undoubtedly at her best when greeting the judge more than four lengths in the clear last time out.
Something like this looks the next logical step for her to take and I think she’ll take beating once more.
| 3. Suntora (1) J: Jackson Radley 54kg 11231 T: Nick Ryan |
There’s a case to be made for a few of them in the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Prelude including GUEST HOUSE, who I’ve got on top.
He’s only made one appearance so far but simply couldn’t have been more impressive, hitting the line to win by just under a length at Cranbourne in late December.
I like that he’s been kept up to the mark with a nice trial performance since that race and he’s open to plenty of improvement with Jamie Melham sticking in the saddle.
| 3. Guest House (6) J: Jamie Melham 57kg 1 T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
Another one putting an unbeaten record on the line in the Blue Diamond series this week is MOANA SPIRIT in the fillies’ race.
Moana Spirit stamped herself as one to follow by winning easily down at Morphettville on debut in December and she franked that effort by recording another dominant win in the Geelong Diamond last time out.
She too has been back to the trials since that latest start, she’s drawn a peach in barrier 5, and I’m confident she too can go on with it.
| 2. Moana Spirit (4) J: Luke Currie 56kg 11 T: Tony & Calvin Mcevoy |
PLANET RED is the one for me first into the Autumn Stakes field.
We haven’t seen Planet Red at the races since October, but he enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in the spring, winning two of five starts and ultimately ending his prep three-quarters of a length second in a Caulfield Guineas.
He’s unbeaten in two fresh runs and has had the benefit of a couple of trials ahead of Saturday’s return.
| 3. Planet Red (10) J: Jamie Melham 57kg 1432x T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
OAK HILL looks to be a horse that could really progress into Group 1 quality this year and I think he’ll be tough to beat in the Rubiton.
He’s always shown good ability, and I liked the work he was doing late when second in the Listed W.J. Adams over 1000m here when resuming a fortnight ago.
With the benefit of that run under his belt and getting slightly further out in trip this time, I’m confident he can stamp himself as a live 2026 Oakleigh Plate hope by winning this.
| 5. Oak Hill (2) J: Damian Lane 57kg 502×2 T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
There are several previous Group 1 winners engaged in the 2026 Kevin Heffernan Stakes field, but I think that TOM KITTEN looks particularly well placed fresh from a break.
He actually hasn’t won a race since taking out last year’s All-Star Mile in the autumn, but Tom Kitten has continued to turn in high quality performances in some of our best Group 1 features.
He races well fresh and has the benefit of a couple of trials under his belt, and I think he’ll take beating at level weights.
| 1. Tom Kitten (8) J: Craig Williams 59kg 5453x T: Anthony & Sam Freedman |
Another open race with plenty of winning chances engaged in the Peter Le Grand, but I’ve ultimately landed on ANGEL EYES for the Lindsay Park team.
Angel Eyes hasn’t been seen competitively since October and she did only make one appearance during her debut prep, but she mustered an eye-catching turn of foot that day to win her race at Ballarat.
She’s trialled up fairly and is drawn to receive the run of the race in my opinion, under Luke Currie. The huge price about her is over the odds, in my opinion.
| 11. Angel Eyes (5) J: Luke Currie 56kg 1x T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
Some excellent horses resuming in this year’s MRC Foundation Cup field, but RISE AT DAWN holds a residual fitness edge over them, and I think he can capitalise.
Rise At Dawn raced consistently through the spring and summer, placing in races like the Shannon Stakes and the Crystal Mile, while he was last seen finishing a credible fifth in The Ingham in Sydney.
Two sharp trials since have kept him ticking over and this looks a perfect race for him.
| 5. Rise At Dawn (2) J: Jamie Melham 58kg 32345 T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
AHHA AHHA is the one for me in the last on Blue Diamond Prelude Day 2026.
Having won in BM70 company three starts back, Ahha Ahha was only just denied at her latest appearance on a featured program at Geelong last time out.
She’s trialled and drawn ideally under Jamie Melham.
| 8. Ahha Ahha (3) J: Jamie Melham 54kg 48152 T: Clinton McDonald |