Blue Diamond Stakes 2024 Group 1 betting preview | February 24

A capacity of 16 juveniles are set to duke it out for the $2 million on offer in Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. With five last-start winners amongst this lot, the 2024 edition of the Blue Diamond looks set to be one of the more memorable juvenile races in some time.

2024 Blue Diamond Stakes odds

As always with Blue Diamond Stakes betting, there is no real standout at the top of the market. Matt Laurie’s Coleman sits on top at odds of +300 with top horse racing bookmakers. Sydney-sider Lady Of Camelot received a truckload of backing following the barrier draw, shortening from +650 into +380. Stablemates Bodyguard (+400) and High Octane (+500) from the Peter & Paul Snowden barn are the only other runners at a single-figure quote, with Eneeza the best of the rest at +1200.

2024 Blue Diamond Stakes speed map

The Blue Diamond Stakes is traditionally a tricky speed map to work out, but this year’s edition looks pretty straightforward. Lady Of Camelot will use her low draw (4) to her advantage, with Spywire from gate 18 looking to come across and land outside lead. Stay Focused, Kuroyanagi and Coleman will all look to camp off the leader’s heels, with High Octane and Bodyguard looking to settle mid-field or better from middle barriers. Fearless, Matisse and Traffic Warden will all be at the rear of the field and charging home late.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes.

Blue Diamond Stakes 2024 preview & form

History may be against Lady Of Camelot as the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott runner looks to become the first filly since Lyre in 2019 to win the Blue Diamond Stakes. To go with that, only four of the last 20 winners have come from outside the Blue Diamond Series, and Waterhouse is yet have a winner in Melbourne’s premier juvenile event. However, first-up from a spell in the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m), Lady Of Camelot gave the 1100m Rosehill track record a nudge when leading from barrier to box in impressive fashion. The daughter of Written Tycoon draws to gain an uncontested lead from barrier four under Adam Hyeronimus, and with natural speed as her key asset, Lady Of Camelot will prove too hard to run down.

Coleman could not have been any more impressive when claiming the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) first-up at Caulfield on February 3. The Pierata colt may have been left a touch flat-footed on the home turn as the leader kicked clear, but he showed his class with the quickest final 200m of the day in just his second career start. Ben Melham will look to land a spot in the first six from barrier seven, and as long as the Matt Laurie-trained runner finds clear air on the home turn, Coleman will be the one leading the charge to race down Lady Of Camelot.

Based on his first two starts, Bodyguard looks to be every bit a Group 1 winner in waiting. Having won the Listed Maribyrnong Trial (1000m) on debut back in October, the I Am Invincible colt was a smart winner of the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) first-up from a spell on February 10 when getting the better of Stay Focused late on. The 1200m looks like it will be no issue for him, and drawn inside Coleman and outside Lady Of Camelot, Mark Zahra will have this bloke within striking distance at all times.

Outside of High Octane, who was desperately unlucky last time out, the rest of the Blue Diamond field is quite an even bunch. Look for the likes of Matisse, Eneeza and Hayasugi to be flashing home and potentially adding some value to trifectas and first-fours.

Blue Diamond Stakes 2024 selections & best bets

• 13
  

  LADY OF CAMELOT

• 4
  

  COLEMAN

• 3
  

  BODYGUARD

• 8
  

  HIGH OCTANE

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