David Hayes has Personal close to top of his Blue Diamond squad

Personal has come from an awkward position to claim an unlikely victory and charge into calculations for the Blue Diamond Stakes for trainer David Hayes.

Jockey Craig Williams returns to scale after riding Personal to victory.

Having won six Blue Diamond Stakes, David Hayes knows his two-year-olds and he’s prepared to put Personal close to the top of his squad heading towards that race.

“For class she’s number one but for speed I’m not so sure,” Hayes said after Personal won Saturday’s Flemington Event Staff Handicap (1100m).

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Hayes compared Personal to champion filly Miss Finland, who finished second in the 2006 Blue Diamond Stakes and won the Golden Slipper Stakes.

“At the same stage, she’s very comparable to Miss Finland,” Hayes said. “She also won her second start down the straight after winning a race at Ballarat with only five runners.”

Hayes said Personal had invited herself to run in the Blue Diamond with the win.

He suggested she would most likely start next in the $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22.

“I think she just invited herself. It’s a high pressure race and with a big finish like that it’s tempting.”

Craig Williams rides Personal to victory at Flemington.

“She was in a world of pain with 300m to go and she was going to be a good thing beaten if she didn’t get to the outside.”

Hayes said Personal, by Fastnet Rock out of a Galileo mare, was more of a Thousand Guineas prospect in the spring as he didn’t ­regard her as being just a sprinter.

Personal came from an awkward position as Craig Williams was shuffled back close to last as she was held up for a run.

Williams returns to scale after Personal swooped late to salute.

Williams described the performance as “excellent”.

“I had to keep changing course. If I got clear running earlier it would be a different story but she had to do it tough and she did it easily. She’ll improve immensely.”

Williams, who rode Miss Finland, said it should be ­remembered that she improved with racing.

Personal ($4 favourite) swooped home to defeat Parlophone ($6) by a half length with Amateurish ($4.60) a neck away third.

Personal firmed from $101 to $26 with TAB for the Blue ­Diamond Stakes.

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EXPRESS ROUTE TO GROUP 1

Mike Moroney saw what he wanted to see and he’ll now head to a Group 1 believes three-year-old colt Alabama Express is a Group 1 horse and he’s heading in that direction with him after his comfortable first-up win in the Donate To Salvation Army Handicap (1100m).

Moroney will proceed with his plan to run the son of Redoute’s Choice in the Group 1 Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 8 his next start.

“It’s a race where leading three-year-olds can win as you can come up against horses kicking off their campaign and at the weight-for-age level three-year-olds are well in,” Moroney said.

Moroney used as an example his 2000m horse Glass Harmonium who finished second to All Too Hard in the Orr Stakes in 2012.

“We’d like to chase Group 1 black type with him. He’s by the right sire (Redoute’s Choice) and he’s as gorgeous a horse as you’d want to see,” Moroney said.

Moroney said he was confident Alabama Express could win first-up down the straight.

He also blamed himself for Alabama Express only finishing seventh in the Coolmore Stud Stakes last spring.

“He’s always been an on speed horse and we thought we’d ride him back but off them from his draw. He also ended up on the side of the track where there was no speed and he should have been right there with the first three.

“As it turned out he was on the wrong side of the track where the speed wasn’t fast. He made good ground and was held up and he almost ran fourth. If he’d drawn a good gate he would have been there with those good ones.”

“He’s a really nice colt who has taken a while to furnish.”

TAB BIG BETS

RACE ONE

The most popular runner in the Flemington Event Staff Handicap (1100m) got the cash for punters in the opener.

Personal went around with nearly 50 percent more money than anything else and was a losing result for TAB after jumping a $4 favourite.

Avenue Of Pleasure, the $3.80 favourite in the morning, blew alarmingly to start a $6 shot. Every single runner in the race carried some sort of decent investment.

BETS: Personal $4,000 @ $4, $2,000 @ $4, $1,000 @ $4, $2,000 @ $3.90, $5,500 e/w @ $3.80/$2.10 (eachway bet taken Friday)

BETS: Parlophone $2,500 @ $5

BETS: Greatness Awaits $1,000 @ $5.50

BETS: Avenue Of Pleasure $1,000 @ $6

RACE TWO

Punters were on the money in the Donate To Foodbank Victoria (1720m) with the heavily tried Red Heeler saluting.

One of the stronger pushes from Flemington on the day, Red Heeler hovered around the $2.50-$2.60 mark for most of the day before jumping at the latter quote.

Going around with more than twice as much money as second pick in the market Ruby Skye ($5.50-$4.20), Red Heeler delivered a losing result to TAB.

BETS: Red Heeler $2,500 @ $2.60, $1,000 @ $2.60, $3,300 @ $2.50, $3,000 @ $2.50, $2,325 @ $2.50

BETS: Peirrless $2,000 @ $5.50

BETS: Ruby Skye $1,500 @ $4.40 TWICE, $3,000 @ $4.20

RACE THREE

They knew what they were doing in the Donate To Salvation Army Disaster Appeal (1100m).

Alabama Express ($5.50-$3.50) was the most notable firmer in the race and had attracted strong support since 9am today.

It was the second most popular runner in the event behind Banquo ($3.30 fav), which took top spot in the market from Condo’s Express ($3.50-$5) which was a big drifter all week. TAB had initially opened him up at $2.60 on Wednesday.

BETS: Alabama Express $2,500 @ $4.80, $2,500 @ $4, $2,000 @ $4, $1,300 @ $4, $2,500 e/w @ $3.80/$2.10, $3,000 @ $3.50

BETS: Dynamic Duo $4,000 @ $10

RACE FOUR

The favourites disappointed in the fourth event on the card – the Donate To Equine Bushfire Relief (2000m).

More than 85 percent of the market was riding on Blossom On Snow ($2.50-$3.30), Rogues Point ($3.20-$2.80) and Rapid Romance ($4.20-$5) with little chance given to the others.

Viscosity ($10-$8.50) and Mount Madeira ($9.50) had some eachway support but it paled in comparison to those at the top of the betting.

BETS: Rogues Point $2,000 @ $3.20, $2,000 @ $3, $2,000 @ $2.80

BETS: Rapid Romance $3,000 e/w @ $5/$1.60

RACE FIVE

Punters were on the mark in the Kensington Stakes (1000m) with Bold Star narrowly gaining the verdict over roughie Causeway Girl ($23).

Bold Star had opened the day as a $4 chance but was backed into $2.90 second pick behind Time To Reign ($3.20-$2.80).

All Too Royal ($3-$3.60) was the other one punters were really keen to dive into.

Time To Reign was responsible for 45 percent of the market and held nearly twice as much money as the winner.

BETS: Bold Star $1,000 @ $2.80, $2,000 @ $2.70

BETS: All Too Royal $2,000 @ $3.60

BETS: Time To Reign $2,500 @ $2.90, $2,000 @ $2.90

RACE SIX-NINE

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Originally published as David Hayes has Personal close to top of his Blue Diamond squad