The Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes is Victoria’s premier two-year-old race, run under set-weight conditions over 1200m at Caulfield Racecourse each February.
The race carries $1.5 million in prize money, with the winner earning $900,000. More importantly, if the winner is a colt, the race opens up a future breeding career worth significantly more.
The capacity field size is 16 horses; four emergencies may also be declared and included in the barrier draw if numbers permit.
The Blue Diamond Stakes carries a SUPER VOBIS Nominators Bonus of $10,000 for qualified horses. Colts and geldings carry 56.5kg, whilst fillies carry 54.5kg. There are lengthy balloting conditions and conditions of entry for the Blue Diamond Stakes.
The Blue Diamond Stakes has always been held over 1200m since its inception in 1971, when the race was taken out by Tolerance. Only one edition has not been held at Caulfield and that was in 1996 when Flemington hosted the event due to reconstruction at Caulfield. Paint was the winner of the race.
Trainer David Hayes holds the record for the most Blue Diamond Stakes winners with five. He has saddled up Canonise (1991), Nadeem (2006), Sleek Chassis (2007), Reaan (2008) and Catchy (2017). The latter was also co-trained by David’s son Ben and his nephew Tom Dabernig.
When it comes to jockeys, the most successful in the race to date is Dwayne Dunn with four wins.
The 2003 edition is memorable after Roedean originally captured the event for trainer Mick Price. She would subsequently be disqualified after returning a positive swab; the John Hawkes-trained Kusi would be elevated to first place.
Some great thoroughbreds have captured the Blue Diamond Stakes – none bigger than Manikato in 1978. In the same year, he would capture the biggest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper Stakes. At three, Manikato would win the Caulfield Guineas. The Hall of Fame gelding would also capture the Invitation Stakes (Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes), four Futurity Stakes, the Rothmans 100,000 (Doomben 10,000), five William Reid Stakes and the George Ryder Stakes.
Other notable winners of the Golden Slipper include Lord Dudley (1975), Blazing Saddles (1977), Bounding Away (1986), Zeditave (1988), Courtza (1989), Danelagh (1998) Redoute’s Choice (1999), Bel Esprit (2002), Alinghi (2004), Star Witness (2010) and Sepoy (2011).
Redoute’s Choice would become a champion sire following his retirement in 2000. His racing career saw him compete 10 times for five wins; he also won the Manikato Stakes at just his third start when carrying 50.5kg, the Caulfield Guineas and the CF Orr Stakes. His sire credentials are arguably better with more than 30 of his progeny Group 1 winners.
The last horse to complete the Blue Diamond Stakes-Golden Slipper double was Sepoy in 2011. He captured the Blue Diamond Stakes at odds of $1.40; he had won the Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude by 3.5 lengths on both occasions leading into the Group 1 contest.
