Sydney Autumn Campaign for Promising Savabeel Filly?

Breednet - Saturday December 15
When trainer Murray Baker tells you he has a filly with a touch of class about her, it pays to take notice.

Queen Of Diamonds. Photo Race Images (Peter Rubery)Baker holds that opinion of the royally-bred Savabeel three-year-old Queen Of Diamonds who gave a glimpse of that potential when she crushed her rivals in the Gr.3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1550m) at Awapuni.

Sent out favourite in the eight-horse field after a dominant performance to break her maiden status at Te Rapa last month, Queen Of Diamonds never looked in danger of defeat thanks to a canny ride from leading jockey Lisa Allpress.

Allpress had her charge idling along nicely in the trail behind a moderate tempo set by Matamata visitor Rocket Fuel. Angled into the clear on the point of the home turn, Queen Of Diamonds quickly put a winning break on her nearest pursuers as she coasted to the line a clear two and three-quarter lengths ahead of the field.

"She is a very nice filly, a very classy individual," Baker said shortly after stablemate Mongolian Marshal had taken out the Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa.

"I've always held her in high regard, but we've taken our time with her as I think she has plenty to offer in the future.

"We didn't run her as a two-year-old, just trialled her, as we thought that she needed that time to develop."

Baker believes the further the filly goes the better she will be as he and co-trainer Andrew Forsman plot a path towards a Group One target.

"We have her nominated for the Levin Classic as well as the Oaks which are both at Trentham so that is where I would like to head with her," he said.

"She was an expensive purchase at the sales so the more black-type we can get with her the better it will be for her owners.

"If she continues to make the sort of progress I think she is capable of then I would think she could be one to take to Sydney in the Autumn, although there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before then."

Queen of Diamonds is raced by China Horse Club Pty Ltd who secured her for $640,000 from the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2017 National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

She is a daughter of Danehill mare Love Diamonds and a younger half-sister to handy racemare Lovetessa (NZ) (O'Reilly) who placed third in the 2015 running of the Eulogy Stakes during a brief career on the track.

Love Diamonds is a daughter of dual Group One winner Tristalove, dam of four stakes winners in Group One winner Viking Ruler, Lovetrista, Kempinsky and Diamond Like.

Interestingly she is also the grand-dam of Ardeche, mother of the Baker/Forsman trained Mongolian Khan which won the Waikato Cup just 20 minutes later.

A half-brother to Queen Of Diamonds by Tavistock will feature as Lot 177 from the Cambridge Stud draft during Book 1 at the National Yearling Sale at Karaka next month.

NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Vale, Danny Champion
The thoroughbred racing industry is in mourning following the passing of respected horseman Danny Champion.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.
Mo'Unga Looking to Bounce Back
Trainer Annabel Neasham is looking forward to stepping out Group One winner Mo’unga in the Gr.2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday, where she is expecting to see an improved run from the entire.
Sires With Winners - Thursday November 21
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Probabeel Shows her Class
Superstar three-year-old Probabeel proved a class above her age-group rivals when she made a winning start to her summer campaign over 1400m at Awapuni on Saturday.
Million-dollar Hour for Leung at NZB Ready To Run
Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Churchill Colt Pulls Off Stunning Pinhooking Result at NZB Ready To Run
Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday.
Savabeel Colt Secures Karaka Million Start
Te Akau Racing’s quest to win the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) for the fourth year in succession was bolstered considerably when Cool Aza Beel ensured his place in the field with a dominant victory at Tauranga on Friday.
Castelvecchio Out for Remainder of Season
Aeliana’s late charge into second place in the $1.5million Group I MRC Thousand Guineas last Saturday stamped her as the filly to follow out of the race, but it wasn’t quite enough to put her sire Castelvecchio to the top of the second season sires list and he is now out of service at Arrowfield following surgery last week.
Blockbuster Sale as NZB Ready to Run Records Tumble
Expectations were exceeded at Karaka with tremendous results witnessed across two days of selling at NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale, confirming the demand for proven racetrack results and quality New Zealand-prepared horses.