Horse Racing: Blue Diamond Preludes Reshape Market as Fireball Takes $2M Inglis Millennium

The autumn carnival is heating up. Seven Group races at Caulfield on Saturday. The $2 million Inglis Millennium headlining Randwick’s program in Sydney. The Blue Diamond picture has been reshaped.

Blue Diamond Preludes at Caulfield

Two-year-old racing at its finest. The Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes market was blown apart.

Colts & Geldings Prelude (Group 3, 1100m): Closer To Free, purchased by trainer Danny O’Brien after a trial, upstaged $2.20 favourite Guest House by a length. Eternal Warrior a short-head back in third. Originally a $201 outsider for the Blue Diamond, Closer To Free has shortened to $7 second favourite — punters looking at the horse racing betting sites will want to act before the market moves again. Stunning.

Fillies Prelude (Group 2, 1100m): Streisand scored by three-quarters of a length from Chayan. I Am Aria third a short-neck away. She is now a $9 fourth favourite for the Blue Diamond.

Other Caulfield Features

In other Group action at Caulfield, Hedged won the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) from a field of six. Observer — already in the headlines after his Autumn Stakes success — continued to strengthen his Australian Guineas credentials.

Inglis Millennium at Randwick ($2M, 1100m)

In Sydney, the Chris Waller-trained Fireball stormed home to claim the richest two-year-old race of the summer on a Soft 5 track at Randwick. The $2 million Inglis Millennium is establishing itself as a marquee juvenile event on the Sydney racing calendar. Fireball delivered.

Blue Diamond Stakes Day: February 21

Three Group 1 races headline Caulfield on February 21:

• Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) — 221 horses remain after second declarations
• Futurity Stakes (1400m)
• Oakleigh Plate (1100m)

The Blue Diamond. Worth $1.5 million. Victoria’s premier race for two-year-olds, a key pointer to the autumn and spring carnival campaigns ahead, and the kind of event that gets punters browsing the new online casinos in Australia looking for the best odds.

Follow all horse racing action on the Horse Racing Hub.

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LF — Breaking news correspondent, australiafootball.com