David Pfieffer opts for Randwick instead of Big Dance qualifier with Oh Diamond Lil

A very winnable race at Randwick was too hard for trainer David David Pfieffer to ignore with Oh Diamond Lil, even if it means sacrificing a chance to qualify for the Big Dance.

The carrot of qualifying Oh Diamond Lil for the $3m Big Dance wasn’t enough to sway trainer David Pfieffer from heading to Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Pfieffer was weighing up travelling to NSW North Coast next Friday to run in the $150,000 Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m) but will run Oh Diamond Lil in this weekend’s Mostyn Copper Benchmark 88 Handicap (1600m) instead.

A small field with the rail out 11m was an offer to good to refuse.

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“When the rail is out that far it’s always going to be a benefit to her style of racing,” Pfieffer said.

“The options were to go to this race or the Coffs Harbour Cup but this race with the rail out and a small field, it was appealing.

“There are a couple there that might push forward and lead but that might mean we park in behind them.

“The beauty of her is that she has that great gate speed that will help her so we will let Jase (Collett) sort it out in the first couple of furlongs.”

Oh Diamond Lil has drawn the outside of the field of nine but can offset the gate with her early gate speed.

Jockey Jason Collett took advantage of a better draw last start to settle in the lead when Oh Diamond Lil was able to run her rivals of their feet at the same track and trip.

Oh Diamond Lil will race at Randwick on Saturday instead of next Friday’s Coffs Harbour Cup. Picture: Getty Images

She has continued to race consistently throughout this preparation with two wins and a second from four starts.

“She is in good order and worked great,” Pfieffer said.

“Jason galloped her on Tuesday and she is just in a good patch of form and in a good headspace.”

Pfieffer could be willing to raise the bar higher again after Saturday with Oh Diamond Lil, who is a $2.10 favourite on the weekend.

• Thompson has strong hand to cap off outstanding season

STAYING TEST FOR RED RAGS

Trainer Jeremy Gask will trust the staying pedigree of Red Rags To Bulls to come to the fore in Saturday’s TAB Highway Class 3 Plate (1800m) at Royal Randwick.

Red Rags To Bulls ($7.50) will be going into uncharted territory as she prepares to step out over more than a mile for the first time in her career.

She is the granddaughter as one of Gask’s best ever gallopers Tingirana, which finished a narrow runner up in the South Australian Oaks in 2004.

“Now is the time to try it,” Gask said.

“You can never be sure and I can’t be convinced she will but she certainly races like she won’t have any problem.

“On her mum side they all stayed and her mum Tingirana was a lovely mare for us.

“She was the last of the family I had so she has the pedigree to get there if everything falls on the right side.

“I guess being by Bull Point is the query, how many of them get over a trip but I think the dam’s side is more important from a stamina point of view.

“She is pretty straightforward and is so easy to deal with so I will go there quite confident that she runs all right.”

Red Rags To Bulls will go past the mile for the first time on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

Red Rags To Bulls reaped the benefits of an excellent ride from apprentice Ben Osmond to win in Highway grade two starts ago before doing her best work late to finish fifth over a mile at Randwick last start.

She is a $7.50 chance to add another win to her name with in-form jockey Tom Sherry aboard this weekend.

Crop Duster ($34) will join her on the float from Scone on Saturday morning with the son of The Brothers War lining up in the Marcellin College Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m).

Gask is hopeful forecast rain on race day will arrive.

“We are going to take a punt that the rain will come,” Gask said.

“We have to leave before scratchings so we were deciding whether to go down on Friday afternoon.

“Red Rags To Bulls is better travelling in the morning and he is going to have to take the punt it will rain.

“It would help, it won’t bother her either, but certainly helps him.”

Gask has enjoyed a good season and has been picking his targets perfectly with his small team, which has a winning strike rate of 15 per cent.

• Untapped talent chasing another win at Randwick on Saturday

SPRINTER CATCHES EYE IN TRIAL

Two-time The Everest placegetter Private Eye is on track for a first-up crack at the Group 2 $300,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) after impressing in a Warwick Farm trial hitout on Friday.

Private Eye, now a winner of more than $12m in prizemoney, was strong late when finishing second behind runaway leader Bonita Queen in a 900m hit out on home turf.

Star stablemate Ceolwulf wasn’t asked to do much in the same heat while three-time Group 1 winning filly Lady Shenandoah had a quiet hitout.

The Joseph Pride-trained Private Eye has had a short let up following his third in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm and is poised to resume in a fortnight at Royal Randwick.

“The Missile is the most likely starting point for him,” Proven Thoroughbred’s managing director Jamie Walter said.

“He hasn’t lost much (fitness). He wasn’t out that long and he is a pretty good fresh.”

1⃣ Bonita Queen
2⃣ Private Eye
3⃣ President

The @BBakerRacing mare keeps them running in an all the way win in a 900m Warwick Farm trial on Friday. Behind them were Converge, Our Gold Hope, Lady Shenandoah, Espionage and Ceolwulf. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/ba5w552Vyt

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 24, 2025

Walter’s Proven Thoroughbred colours could be in for a big day at Royal Randwick on Saturday with The Black Cloud, Little Cointreau, Termagant and Break Free all lining up.

The Black Cloud ($6) and Termagant ($34) will both contest the ATC Thank You Trainers Handicap (1100m) with the latter coming down from Brisbane for Matt Hoysted.

“The Black Cloud has found a nice race,” Walter said.

“She gets a little bit of weight relief. We don’t know how much rain is going to fall, she can get through it.

“Her stablemate Storm The Ramparts is racing out of his skin.

“We also have a couple down to from Brisbane, Termagant will race against The Black Cloud and Break Free is come down as well.

“They’ve come down for found suitable races and a bit of give in the track.”

Break Free ($8.50), also trained by Hoysted, is in the ATC Thank You Owners Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) while Little Cointreau ($5.50) will look to end a run of five straight thirds in the Marcellin College Randwick Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m).

Originally published as David Pfieffer opts for Randwick instead of Big Dance qualifier with Oh Diamond Lil