Trainer Phillip Stokes on Blue Diamond Stakes hunt with Stay Focused

Trainer Phillip Stokes is convinced extra fitness and race experience around Caulfield will help Stay Focused bridge a gap on his rivals in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

Stay Focused will attempt to bounce back from a last-start defeat in Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

A little more experience could provide the “couple of lengths” trainer Phillip Stokes says Stay Focused needs to find to win Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes.

A dominant debut winner at Geelong in January, Stay Focused followed that up with a solid second to the smart Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt Bodyguard in the Blue Diamond Prelude on February 10.

The second placing convinced TAB to ease Stay Focused’s Blue Diamond Stakes quote from $11 to $13.

Stokes noted Stay Focused needed to improve to beat Bodyguard and fellow Blue Diamond fancies Coleman, Lady Of Camelot and High Octane.

Three wide, no worries.

Bodyguard is a serious colt ⭐️ @[e-mail]/GSm94ItLDS

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 10, 2024

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But he said the fitness gained from the Blue Diamond Prelude would aid the son of Cosmic Force in Saturday’s edition of Victoria’s richest two-year-old race.

“I think he definitely has to find a couple of lengths and with the six weeks between runs, there’s a couple of lengths there,” Stokes said.

“And the experience he had going around Caulfield will help because he still did things wrong.”

Stokes said Stay Focused had only had one semi-serious hitout since the Blue Diamond Prelude but would ramp up his preparation leading into the main event.

“He had his first piece of work since he raced last Saturday in a soft gallop and he worked well,” Stokes said.

“He’ll just have another maintenance gallop on Tuesday and he’s there.”

Bodyguard (left) and Stay Focused (right) will again clash in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Getty Images.

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Some Blue Diamond Stakes runners are likely to head to the spelling paddock for breaks after Saturday’s race but Stokes did not rule out continuing Stay Focused’s campaign.

Sydney assignments could appear on Stay Focused’s agenda if the colt ran up to market expectations in the Blue Diamond.

“He’s a lovely colt,” Stokes said.

“He was a handful when he first started but he’s just kept improving.

“I think whatever he’s doing now, he could even step out a bit further in trip in time.

“He’s pretty clean-winded.”