LIVE: Blue Diamond Stakes Day (Caulfield), Chipping Norton Stakes Day (Royal Randwick)

UPDATE: Barriers and brilliance tell the story, as Mick Price’s two gun youngsters cut loose in a Blue Diamond where different made all the difference.

MATT STEWART

8 min read

February 26, 2016 - 4:00PM

Melbourne Racing

Racing

Don't miss out on the headlines from Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.

YOU can plot all you like, but its racing’s fickle factors that count most.

Trainer Mick Price now embarks on a greater journey of hope and planning after harnessing those fickle factors into stunning dominance of Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

Barriers and brilliance told the story, as Price’s two gun youngsters cut loose; half a track apart at the 300m after different luck that made all the difference.

Extreme Choice, the readymade youngster who drew wide but not as wide as his stranded stablemate Flying Artie, bolted clear after a wide but cosy on-pace run.

Flying Artie, ridden on a calculated gamble made many days earlier by Damien Oliver, raced via the cape, spearing off on the final turn, before flashing home.

Reverse the barriers, reverse the result. Oliver knew when he dumped the favourite for the second favourite a fortnight ago that the barrier draw hovered as the random spanner in his plans.

Owner David Moodie and trainer Peter Moody thought the barrier draw had put a nail in Flamberge’s coffin for the second time in an Oakleigh Plate.

He’d drawn barrier 17 in 2014 and punctured just out of the placings.

On Saturday he drew the same gate, the same as Flying Artie in Diamond, and the owner and trainer all-but had their cue in the rack as the gates sprung.

“We thought ‘here we go again,’ Moodie said of the treacherous barrier.

But the $30 outsider pulled out a blinder, racing widest of all before surging, then holding off Fell Swoop by an inch.

Moody erupted like he’d never erupted before up the back of the mounting yard. He roared, cheered and leapt about.

He later explained it as a release after a “dirty, dirty day’’ but truth is it’s been a dirty, dirty year or more and one that might not improve via a decision expected in days over his guilt or innocence over cobalt charges.

For Moody, the Oakleigh Plate was a welcome distraction, a reminder that regardless of the future, the world was reminded that Moody is a darn good trainer.

A buoyant Peter Moody with Flamberge after winning the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate. Picture: Getty Images

Flamberge is off to the Newmarket Handicap and Price now has his sights on a race that would seem to sit close to the top of his bucket list.

Asked if it was special to quinella the Diamond, Price replied: “It would be really special if we can win the Golden Slipper.’’

Australia’s greatest two-year-old race is three weeks away.

“We’ve just got to construct a plan to get them there. I’ve got plenty of horse left with both of them,’’ he said, his mind quickly moving to the next challenge.

It was the prelude to the race, then the barrier draw, that made the Blue Diamond scene up the straight so telling, so ironic.

Oliver dumped Extreme Choice because he wasn’t convinced he’d run a strong 1200m, but that Flying Artie would. He was half right, more than half a victim of the barrier draw.

“The barrier didn’t help,’’ Oliver lamented afterwards. But the next race is looming and it’s worth $3.5 million.

Craig Newitt returns to scale aboard Extreme Choice. Picture: Michael Klein

Odds are Flying Artie won’t draw the carpark at Rosehill, but as Moodie and Moody know well, wide gates can repeat.

Extreme Choice ran the 1200m on his ear.

Newitt said he was looking out the corner of his eye for the “pink colours” (Flying Artie) “and I knew he was coming but, mate, he was never going to lose, simple as that.

“He was unbelievable and wouldn’t have blown a candle out coming back.’’

Craig Newitt and Mick Price give winning the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes the thumbs up. Picture: Michael Klein

Price said he had one eye on Flying Artie’s hard luck and an admiring one on Extreme Choice’s sheer professionalism.

“I saw the second horse get speared off on the top of the straight and I thought ‘poor bugger, just got no luck’,’’ he said.

“But all credit to Extreme Choice because today was the day he had the opportunity to really stand up. Today we got a lot of information on the horse and now it’s off to the Slipper

“Luck in running was obviously massive. Gates are gates and they happen all the time … it (Flying Artie) was a really, really brave effort.’’

SUNDAY FIX

Santa Ana Lane (centre) manages to hold out Brockhoff (left) and Damien Oliver (not pictured). Picture: Michael Klein

RULE DOESN’T HAVE OLLIE SMILING

THOSE who hate the new restricted whip rules found an ally at Caulfield in Damien Oliver. Ollie vented his frustration after being unable to adequately crank up Brockhoff before the 200m in the Zeditave Stakes. “The stupid whip rule didn’t help,’’ Oliver said. Oliver was unable to whip Brokhoff at a crucial stage — in his view at least — as he approached the 200m because he had already exhausted his seven-strike limit.

OLIVER FINDS ANOTHER WAY TO SUCCEED

IT wasn’t whipping but urging that prevailed for Oliver on Brokhoff’s stablemate Azkadellia in the final race at Caulfield. The swooping win, with Oliver stalking but not flogging, came at the right time for a mare who needed to make the transition from eye-catching to a dominator. She is now off to Sydney for the rich purses of the Coolmore Stakes and Doncaster Mile.

CURTAIN COMES DOWN FOR BOBAN

IT’S curtains for Australia’s most loved and maligned (without malice) horse, Boban. The perennial, described by some callous media types as a “thief’’ in recent seasons, bled from both nostrils after finishing last in the Futurity Stakes. As a second time bleeder, he now faces a life ban unless connections opt to race in some states of the US, where the anti-bleeding drug Lasix is legal.

THE QUOTE

“Most gaps go quicker than the horse but this horse goes quicker than the gaps.’’

— Damien Oliver (Bow Creek).

Catch A Fire burns off her rivals in the Armanasco Stakes Stakes. Picture: Michael Klein

TAB BIG BETS

RACE ONE

Throughout the week Assign was the most popular runner with punters.

Backing it from $3.40 into $3, it then blew out to $4.20 thanks to the support for Tashbeeh ($4.80-$4.40) today.

Koroibete was the other popular runner in betting and hovered around the $7.50-$8 mark for most of the day.

BETS: Koroibete $3500 x $1500 @ $8/$2.51

RACE TWO

The money throughout the morning was for Bassett ($4.60-$4.20-$3.20).

In the end it was the most popular runner in terms of money taken.

Popovich ($8) had some good backing as did Puritan ($9-$6-$7) during the week.

Santa Ana Lane was largely ignored today and drifted from $6 to $9.

BETS: Popovich $3500 @ $8 x $1500 @ $2.30, $3000 @ $8, Odyssey Moon $1000 @ $16

RACE THREE

Punters were mainly interested in two runners for the majority of betting — Egypt and Pasadena Girl.

Egypt had good backing right throughout the week and was $6.50 on Wednesday into as low as $4.60 on Saturday. She blew back out to $5.50 thanks to the backing of Pasadena Girl ($5-$4.20).

Mossin Around ($5.50-$5) was specked late while Catch A Fire went from $7.50 out to $10 in the last half hour before the race.

BETS: Mossin Around $4000 @ $5

Tally was well supported and looked a good prospect in running after he settled. Picture: Michael Klein

RACE FOUR

This race totally changed when the heavily backed favourite, Mahuta, was withdrawn early in the day.

After that it was left to Tally ($3.20-$2.80) to take up favouritism and punters rallied behind the Godolphin-owned runner. Significantly, Tally did have some support earlier in the week ($5.50 at that stage) when the market was first released and Mahuta was still in the field.

Patch Adams ($7-$6.50) was the best tried to beat the favourite and like Tally, did have backing earlier in the week when TAB put up $21 about his chances.

BETS: Tally $8000 @ $2.70

RACE FIVE

Bow Creek held sway with TAB customers right throughout betting.

Rock solid at $4 for most of the day, he went out late to $4.80 but he was still by far and away the most popular runner in terms of money taken. Fawkner bottomed out at $7.50 but started at $9, while Rising Romance was popular but did drift ($9-$11), with the same scenario applying for Fenway ($6.50-$7).

BETS: Bow Creek $1000 @ $4.80

The victory of favourite Turn Me Loose was well received by punters in the sixth race. Picture: Michael Klein

RACE SIX

Punters got this one right with Turn Me Loose in the Futurity. While the four-year-old was $3.30 into $3.20 during the week, he did get out to as much as $3.60 today and that is when TAB customers pounced! Turn Me Loose was smashed to start $3 and was clearly the most popular in terms of money held.

Hucklebuck was $5.50 into $5 on Saturday while Boban ($8-$10) had his admirers. Suavito ($6.50-$7) and Politeness ($8-$7.50-$10) were tried at some point during the afternoon as well.

BETS: Turn Me Loose $10,000 @ $3.10, Suavito $5000 @ $7

RACE SEVEN

Favourite backers were all over this one with Extreme Choice the best supported on the day.

While punters were looking further afield throughout the week, Saturday saw Extreme Choice ($2.80-$2.85-$2.60-$2.70) as the popular elect for the Blue Diamond.

Samara Dancer, well tried during the week, was $5.50 out to $7 on the day.

Flying Artie was largely ignored during the week and blew significantly from $3.80 (Wednesday) to $7 at one point on Saturday, before punters took the price in a big way. It would start at $5.

Star Turn ($10-$9-$11) had backing while Zamzam ($35-$26) ran right up to the money that came for it earlier in the day.

BETS: Extreme Choice $10,000 @ $2.80, $8000 @ $2.60, Star Turn $3000 @ $10

Flamberge gets the better of his rivals in the Oakleigh Plate. Picture: Michael Klein

RACE EIGHT

Heatherly ($4.60-$3.60) was well tried to take out the Oakleigh Plate. You could have secured as much as $6.50 earlier in the week.

Bounding was best tried to beat the favourite and hovered around the $5 for most of the day, while Fell Swoop ($13-$11-$12) was easily the next best backed runner and attracted good eachway support.

Keen Array ($5-$4.40-$4.60) did have good money for it earlier in the week but not so much on Saturday. Flamberge, $21 out to $31, had little interest.

There was a move earlier in the day for The Quarterback, which was $17-$13, however, it went back out to $17 as there was little to no support late in betting.

BETS: Heatherly $2000 @ $4.20, $2000 @ $3.70, Bounding $2000 @ $6

RACE NINE

Azkadellia was easily the best backed runner at Caulfield all day. With $2 on offer earlier in the morning, punters kept taking whatever was on offer with the mare jumping a hot $1.80 favourite. She was also very popular in multis too. Overall, Azkadellia accounted for 65 per cent of all bets on the Mannerism. Miss Rose De Lago had some support at the $15, while Wawail had good eachway support and Tuscan Sling also had some serious money riding on it.

BETS: Azkadellia $5000 @ $1.80

FUTURES UPDATE

GOLDEN SLIPPER

Extreme Choice $8-$4.60 and then into $3.60 favourite (after taking out Blue Diamond)

Capitalist $3.50-$4.60 second fav

In The Vanguard $51-$26 (after running 2nd in the Sweet Embrace)

Good Standing $26-$15 (after winning Skyline Stakes)

MARKET: TAB FIXED ODDS

DONCASTER MILE

Azkadellia $15-$11 (after winning Mannerism)

Ghisoni $51-$26 (after winning Surround Stakes)

MARKET: TAB FIXED ODDS