The 2016 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes barrier draw has been conducted and the Mick Price duo of Extreme Choice and Flying Artie have both drawn towards the outside of the field for the Group 1 event that will be held at Caulfield on Saturday.
Flying Artie will jump from towards the outside of the 2016 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes field. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Extreme Choice was on top of the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes betting market when the final field was released this morning, but he is set to drift slightly after he was allocated barrier 13.
The Not A Single Doubt colt was settled just behind the speed when he made his racing debut with an impressive win in the Inglis Nursery at Royal Randwick on December 12 and he led from start to finish when he romped home in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on February 6.
Craig Newitt has been booked to ride Extreme Choice after Damien Oliver elected to stick with Flying Artie and the Blue Diamond Stakes winning hoop will have a tough decision on his hands when the barriers open on Saturday.
Oliver may now be ruing his decision to take the ride on Flying Artie after the talented colt drew barrier 17 this morning.
Flying Artie made his racing debut with a very close second behind Power Trip in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on November 7 and he overcame a wide barrier to take out the Group 3 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Colts And Geldings Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on February 13.
Other horses to draw towards the outside of the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes field include Highland Beat (barrier 12), China Dream (barrier 14), Sweet Sherry (barrier 16), Kinetic Design (barrier 19), Artei (barrier 15) and Selenia (barrier 18).
While Flying Artie and Extreme Choice drew towards the outside of the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes field, talented fillies Concealer and Samara Dancer have both drawn ideally.
Concealer made her racing debut with an impressive win in the Emirates Airline Plate (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day and she bombed the start in the Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude, but she still savaged the line to finish second.
The Nicconi filly will receive a dream run from barrier six in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes – as long as she jumps with the field – and Mark Zahra will continue his association with the juvenile.
Samara Dancer received a lovely run in transit to beat Concealer in the Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude and she could receive a very similar run in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes after being allocated barrier five.
The daughter of Hinchinbrook was found with blood in a single nostril following her Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude win, but she was cleared to take her place in the Blue Diamond Stakes field after galloping in front of stewards this morning.
Other Blue Diamond Stakes barrier draws include Valliano (barrier eight), Star Turn (barrier ten), Power Trip (barrier nine), Hell Of An Effort (barrier one), Hey Doc (barrier four), Zamzam (barrier seven) and Miss Nymeria (barrier three).
