Diamond Hopefuls Perform At Caulfield

Caulfield staged a pair of preps for its autumn feature, the Feb. 25 G1 Blue Diamond S., on Saturday, with Formality (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Jukebox (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) vaulting themselves to the head of the Blue Diamond betting market with facile wins.

The bay filly Formality, a 4 1/2-length debut winner at Werribee on Jan. 5 for a Coolmore partnership, took the 1000 metre G3 Chairman's S. in a time of :58.10. Bouncing out of the barriers the best, Craig Williams aboard Formality allowed Spoils (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) to take over the lead on her outside passing the 600-metre mark. Formality sat a half-length second to that rival turning into the stretch and soon drew even. Drawing clear under a handride at the 200-metre mark, she hit the line geared down by 1 1/2 lengths as Time Awaits (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) made a non-threatening late rally to overtake Spoils for second.

Tom Dabernig, who trains Formality in partnership with David and Ben Hayes, told Racing.com, “I was really taken by that. She was able to really show good speed from the gate, but I also liked the way she got there and was able to relax and when she was asked to dig deep she drew away again. We try and use the lead-ups not as a grand final, so she's not fully wound up yet and there's improvement to come. She's got the pedigree and now she's got the performance, so she's a really exciting filly.”

Formality, a daughter of Singapore stakes winner Jolie's Shinju (Jpn) (Jolie's Halo), is now the $6.50 favourite with CrownBet for the Blue Diamond, replacing at the head of the market Catchy (Aus), another daughter of Fastnet Rock who, like Formality, was sold through Coolmore at last year's Inglis Easter Sale.

One race earlier, Jukebox (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) also maintained his unbeaten record under Craig Williams with a win in the Listed Restricted Inglis Premier going 1200 metres. Away in good order, the bay colt raced about 2 1/2 lengths off the lead and on the fence down the backstretch. Inheriting the lead on the inside under minimal urging as they turned into the straight, Jukebox drew clear under a handride to win by two lengths from Perast (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}).

“He's always been our benchmark 2-year-old,” trainer Ciaron Maher told Racing.com. “He's very professional and very natural. Fitness wise he improved out of his first run, but I still think there's a bit of improvement there also. It's three weeks into the Diamond which is a nice spacing.”

Jukebox is CrownBet's co-second choice for the Blue Diamond with 'TDN Rising Star' Pariah (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) at $7.00. Catchy is at $11.00.

Across the country at Randwick in Sydney, Veranillo (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) bolstered his G1 Golden Slipper credentials with a win in the Listed Lonhro Plate for Godolphin and trainer John O'Shea. Making his second start off a win at Rosehill on Nov. 12, Veranillo was a keen second behind Eden Roc (Aus) (Star Witness {Aus}) in the early stages. Shaken up at the top of the lane, Veranillo took much of the stretch to kick into gear, but once he did he drew clear inside the final 100 metres under James Doyle to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Also at Randwick on Saturday, Uncle Mo gained his second Australian stakes winner when Man From Uncle (Aus) took the 1200-metre G3 Eskimo Prince S. Man From Uncle will now reportedly be aimed at a Guineas.