With connections needing to pay a late entry fee to secure Property (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}) his position in the final field for Saturday's A$1.5m G1 Blue Diamond S. (1200m), the dual stakes-winning gelding has the services of world class Joao Moreira after regular jockey Craig Williams elected to stay with the unbeaten filly Catchy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Beaten only on debut when two lengths behind Catchy (Aus), Robert Smerdon's Property has continued to improve with each start and from gate three should get a cosy run in transit.
Able to produce great sectional times when charging to the line, Property (Aus) looks the one to beat, although the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Pariah (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) was taking considerable ground off him last start and will relish the extra distance. A winner on debut in the G3 Canonbury S. in Sydney, the 'TDN Rising Star' was quickly shipped off to Melbourne with the Blue Diamond his main goal. Following a similar path to their Blue Diamond winner of 2015 in Pride Of Dubai (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), the father-son duo look to have a great chance in securing another Group 1 victory for James Harron Bloodstock.
With six in the field for David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, their unbeaten Catchy (Aus) looks set to start the race favourite but may find the wide barrier a slight concern. With Williams comparing the filly favourably to Miss Finland (Aus), who he rode to success in all five of her Group 1 victories, Catchy (Aus) will need to be right on top of her game to remain unbeaten. Stablemate Formality (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) who is also unbeaten, has the services of Champion jockey Ryan Moore, while the other Coolmore affiliated runner Tulip (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}) looks to have an outstanding chance of giving her first-crop sire his first elite level winner.
Another from the stable that looks to have a chance is the Shadwell Australia-raced Muraahib (Aus) (Reset {Aus}), an unbeaten three-quarter relation to dual Group 1 winner Rebel Raider (Aus) (Reset {Aus}). One of five unbeaten runners in the field, victory by Ciaron Maher's Jukebox (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) would be a great result for the graduate of the Inglis Premier yearling sale with the 2017 edition of the sale set to commence the day after the race.
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