WA connection drives champion jockey Damien Oliver to win his second Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes
A special WA connection is driving champion jockey Damien Oliver’s bid to win a drought-breaking second Blue Diamond Stakes.
History says champion jockey Damien Oliver will be fighting out the finish in the $2m Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on Saturday at Sandown.
Oliver boasts a 48 per cent top-three strike rate in the premier two-year-old race from 23 starts.
Quite remarkably Alinghi in 2004 is Oliver’s only Blue Diamond triumph but the record 127-time Group 1 winner has been runner-up on seven occasions and placed third three times previously.
BLUE DIAMOND STAKES RUNNER-BY-RUNNER GUIDE
Oliver has won Group 1 races for sheiks and major syndicates alike but a Blue Diamond aboard explosive West Australian Brave Halo would be as special and sentimental as any.
Brave Halo, a three-time winner in Perth, was luckless in defeat first-up in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) snookered between horses.
Blue Diamond second favourite Barber, who won the Prelude impressively, finished 1¼ lengths ahead of fourth placed Brave Halo despite the Sean and Jake Casey colt going to the post untested.
“I think with a bit more room in the straight he would’ve been fighting out the finish,” Oliver said.
“It was all there for all to see he measured up well, it seems to be a pretty open race.
“Barber was first-up so you’d expect him to improve … Steel City has got some good form in Sydney around (Learning To Fly) … they look the logical ones and the filly (Exploring) that won the Prelude has done nothing wrong.
“There doesn’t seem to be a standout as such, I think they’re a nice crop but I don’t think there’s one head and shoulders above any of the others.”
Oliver committed to Brave Halo immediately after the Prelude.
It was an easy decision based on his own homework and the colt’s Prelude performance.
“I looked at all his tapes and he couldn’t have been more impressive but you never know how they measure up until they get here,” Oliver said.
“But the times and good judges in Perth said he’s as good a two-year-old as they’ve seen for a long time, when I worked him he gave me good confidence that he would measure up.”
The strong WA connection to the Caseys and Brave Halo owner Wally Daly sealed the deal.
“I’ve known them (Casey family) for a long time and even more so (Brave Halo) owner Wally Daly, my brother (Jason) rode a lot of big winners for him in Perth,” Oliver said.
“Our families go back a long way, it would be lovely to win for both the Caseys and Wally Daly.
“It’s always a bit special winning for fellow Sandgropers, especially when you go back a long way.”
Brave Halo must finish top five in the Blue Diamond to cover the $55,000 late fee Daly paid to enter the colt, and is set to jump from barrier 15 after the scratching of second emergency Beauty Rising.
Originally published as WA connection drives champion jockey Damien Oliver to win his second Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes
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