Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes have taken out the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes with Devil Night after Michael Dee piloted the colt to victory in Victoria’s premier two-year-old contest.
Dee, who claimed the Blue Diamond two years ago on Little Brose, couldn’t have ridden the winner any better after jumping well from barrier two, even though he was vulnerable in the final strides.
The son of Extreme Choice was a flashing light run along the inside rail in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G), finishing half a length off Field Of Play, who jumped as the race favourite with horse racing bookmakers in the Blue Diamond.
The Playwright led the field up from the eventual winner, while Palm Angel and Field Of Play settled behind them and gained cover from the wind.
Turning for home, Devil Night took over from the tiring leader and gave a strong kick with 250m to go.
Damian Lane was zigging and zaggin to get out of the pack on Tentyris, and Mark Zahra asked Tycoon Star for the ultimate effort on the outside of runners to chase down the leader.
Although Tentyris put in a lunge on the line, it was Devil Night who just held on in a tight finish, with Tycoon Star in third, finising a length off the top two.
The win handed Team Hawkes their first Group 1 victory since Yearning won the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) in 2021, and Wayne Hawkes was clearly overwhelmed with the victory post-race.
““I thought he’d be in the first four or five and I said to Mick (Dee), ‘don’t overcomplicate it, he’s a lovely horse’, Hawkes said.
“He’s never been on him but he’s a lovely horse. He does everything right, he’s improved out of sight from his run the other day.
“I know it’s easy to say after the race, but you can ask Vin [Cox] what I said to him. I said, ‘mate, off his track work, he just wins on Saturday but he’s in a Blue Diamond, so I’m not getting too cocky.
“In a normal race he’d just win.”
Having claimed the race in 2023, Mick Dee joins the likes of Kerrin McEvoy, Luke Currie and Craig Newitt as current jockeys with multiple Blue Diamond Stakes victories.
“I thought there would be a little more pressure than that. I ended up outside the leader, basically by default,” Dee said.
“He was a little bit keen, travelled a little bit strong and he fought on well. Luckily he did.
“He gave a really good kick when I asked the question and really took off and got that winning edge. It was a credit to him. He was tough.
“We didn’t want it too much further. It would have been good if he could come back a little and relax, especially with cover, he would be better. He was too good.”
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