The Mick Price and Michael Kent stable has further strengthened its hand for Victoria’s premier juvenile race following Big Sky’s commanding performance at Caulfield.
The colt now sits at the head of the market for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on February 21 after cruising to victory in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m).
Stablemate Guest House also remains firmly in the picture and is set to contest next Saturday’s Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) following an impressive debut win at Cranbourne.
Sent out a $1.60 favourite with wagering sites, Big Sky made all under Ben Melham to score by three lengths from Invincible Son, with La Gitana finishing a further half-length away in third.
Price is chasing his third Blue Diamond success, having previously won the race with Samaready in 2012 and Extreme Choice in 2016, while Roedean was disqualified after winning in 2003.
The veteran trainer said the three-week gap between Saturday’s race and the Blue Diamond suited Big Sky far better than the shorter turnaround of the Prelude.
“I think he lost a bit of nervousness from his first run,” Price said.
“He was a bit unsure of himself at Flemington, but today he was a bit cooler.
“He’s a colt that is learning. He’s not an alpha colt, he’s a quiet colt and if he has a good three weeks, he should turn up and run well.”
Price said the decision to run in the Chairman’s Stakes was deliberate given the colt’s early stage of development.
“I wanted to run him in this because I thought the three weeks would be good for him,” he said.
“A two-year-old having his first prep, you can’t get too many runs out of them but hopefully he can get to the Blue Diamond and then maybe Sydney.”
Price admitted the colt was still learning late in the race but was pleased with how he handled the pressure.
“I think a furlong out he was clocking off which is not a bad thing at this stage,” he said.
“He doesn’t have to lead all the time, but that’s just how the races have worked out.
“I don’t like to overdo gear changes. We’ll let him progress naturally.”
With markets tightening ahead of the feature, punters can monitor the Blue Diamond betting through leading Australian betting sites.
The post Blue Diamond beckons for unbeaten Big Sky first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
