Diamond Earth

Race experience, blinkers and a sighting of Moonee Valley on Tuesday all made a winning difference for Diamond Earth in the Microflite Inglis Banner two-year-old (1000m) at Moonee Valley today.

The $60,000 purchased picked up $145,000 at just her second race start after landing in front and proving more tractable than her opponents.

Only four horses of the 11 starters had raced experience and three of them ran in the first four including Lamingtons (second) and Rise to the Top (fourth).

The quinella horses Diamond Earth and Lamingtons worked at Moonee Valley on Tuesday at breakfast for the stars and that look at the track made a huge difference.

Diamond Earth finished eighth at Caulfield on debut when she lead and weakened behind Jimando.

“She showed great speed at her first start and she showed plenty of talent at home, that is why we brought her here (from Sydney)  in the first place’” said trainer Anthony Cummings.

“With that race experience, fitness came with it and she came to the Valley on Tuesday with a nice gallop and time and did it within herself and showed the benefit of it today.

Cummings said the application of blinkers were important.

“She was quite field-shy at her first start and when a horse came around she nearly hit the rail for the best part of half a furlong.

“Blinkers gave her more confidence and she traveled much better today, not as frantic and at the same sort of speed, within herself, breathing and gave herself a kick.”

Diamond Earth $9,  hugging the rail defeated Lamingtons $4.80 by neck with Swipeline $3.20 favourite a further half-length away third.

Lamingtons settled outside the leader and had its chance.

First starter Swipeline, was well backed but tardy at the start and raced greenly.

He finished best in the straight and seemingly has a good future.

Rise to the Top $4.80 was having its second start, the first a placing at Rosehill.

The change of direction cost the Shaft gelding who settled behind the pace but was very green in the straight when taken off the rail by Hugh Bowman – there is good improvement to come from the Gary Portelli galloper.