Exciting two-year-old Malasun is threatening to break a Blue Diamond hoodoo for trainer Mick Price after bursting into contention with a stunning debut win at Caulfield.
The Red Ransom filly, who cost owners BC3 Thoroughbreds just $80,000 at last year’s Melbourne Premier sale, is now third favourite for the $1 million juvenile feature after posting the fastest time of the two Blue Diamond Previews on Thursday.
Ridden by Damien Oliver, Malasun had never been headed in three jump outs but she was beaten for pace and settled third behind Sweet Little Lies and Members Joy before storming down the centre of the track to win by 1-1/4 lengths.
Members Joy, raced by 900 Melbourne Racing Club members, looked the winner at the 200 metres when she forged past Sweet Little Lies and held on for a gallant second, finishing a half length ahead of the previously unbeaten Sabie.
Sweet Little Lies ($1.70 fav) battled hard but was beaten nearly two lengths in fourth.
Malasun ran the 1000 metres of the Blue Diamond Preview for fillies in 57.28s, nearly a quarter of a second faster than The Travelling Man who ran 57.5s in the colts and geldings division.
TAB Sportsbet slashed Malasun’s Blue Diamond quote from $21 and she is now third favourite at $8 behind the Tony McEvoy-trained Debutants Stakes winner Jimando ($5) and Gai Waterhouse-trained Raceway ($5.50) who won his debut at Warwick Farm earlier this month.
Malasun shapes as Price’s best chance to win the Blue Diamond since Roedean was successful only to be disqualified in 2003.
Roedean’s stablemate Halibery was promoted to second that year while the Price-trained World Peace and Perfectly Ready each finished third in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
Gaelic Princess (2003) and Find the Cash (2004) both finished fourth for Price and last year Holdontoyahorses was fifth to Sepoy.
Price was the underbidder on Malasun, who is the latest success story for BC3 Thoroughbreds which last year had 57 winners with a strike rate of more than 30 percent.
“Mick was on the horse at the sales as well and he jumped off for us and let us buy him, so we gave him the horse to train,” said BC3’s chief executive Bill Vlahos.
Oliver said Malasun was a classy filly and natural two-year-old runner.
“She is very quick but there was good speed there today and a couple of quality fillies she was chasing,” Oliver said.
“We didn’t know how she would go racing in behind them but she really knuckled down and did well to run them down.
“She is a real professional and a nice, scopey filly.
“She’s qualified now (for the Blue Diamond) and all they have to do is look after her for the next month.”
