A talented field of the season’s top two-year-olds takes to the Caulfield track in Race 8 on Saturday for the 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes and below are our insider Blue Diamond tips and best bets on the classic.
Lady Of Camelot is the Races.com.au pick to win the 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
The line-up took a blow on Friday with the early withdrawal of the Snowden’s Prelude winning colt Bodyguard (6) due to lameness issues and back-to-back failed vet checks.
The stable is still in with two hopes led by High Octane who is into single-figures in the Blue Diamond Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Those markets are firmly led now by the Matt Laurie-trained Coleman who is looking to extend the flawless start to his career with a third win and first Group 1 off of a lead-up Chairman’s Stakes triumph.
So, will Coleman salute for the punters in this year’s Blue Diamond Stakes or is the Waterhouse/Bott filly Lady Of Camelot who is hot on his tail the one to beat?
Read on to find out the juveniles we’re backing and sacking in our exclusive Blue Diamond 2024 tips.
The Favourite: #4 Coleman ($3.70 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Easy to make a case for the firming favourite Coleman who is two-from-two and tipped to make it a three-peat in the blue Diamond. Drawn ideally in gate seven with Ben Melham in the mount and both he and trainer Matt Laurie chase their first win in the event. Comes into barrier six now with Bodyguard out. He was dominant fresh in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) winning by nearly three lengths at the start of the month, but he faces some fit types and does need to extend a furlong further. Each Way.
Best Bet: #13 Lady Of Camelot ($4 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Really like the credentials of this Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained filly to become the first since Lyre (2019) to beat home the boys and hand the stable their first Blue Diamond trophy. She comes via the Sydney form lines with her latest a 2.88 length romp home fresh at Rosehill in the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m). Did that so easily the 1200m looks a complete non-issue. Gun barrier (4). Question over how she’ll go the Melbourne way with her third hoop (Adam Hyeronimus) in as many starts coming on, but her and the stable are going great guns in the juvenile scene right now and she maps well. Back Don’t Sack.
The Roughie: #11 Hayasugi ($18 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Really big odds on offer for Hayasugi to make history as just the second filly to do the Preview – Prelude – Blue Diamond treble. Not sure if her Prelude win was strong enough to suggest she’ll do the series clean sweep, but at close to $20 at time of publish in the Group 1 think she is somewhat forgotten. Hasn’t done much wrong, is a nicely-bred daughter of Royal Meeting who knows how to find the winning post, two-from-two at the track, and has the confidence of her trainer Clinton McDonald. Jamie Kah retains the ride and the barrier (11 into 9) gives her options. Overs. Place Bet.
Click here to access the latest Blue Diamond Stakes 2024 odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au.
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