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Samaready dominant in Blue Diamond

25th Feb 2012

Samaready dominant in Blue Diamond

Exciting filly Samaready made the step to Group One winner in impressive style at Caulfield today, taking out the $1million Group One MRC Blue Diamond Stakes for ecstatic connections.

Jockey Craig Newitt rode Samaready ($150,000 2011 Easter, 2f More Than Ready-Samar) with plenty of confidence throughout the 1200m scamper, sitting three wide the trip and the Easter filly showed she was clearly the best horse in the race galloping away down the Caulfield straight to a three length victory over No Looking Back and Armed For Action.

Samaready became the 8th winner of the Blue Diamond since 2000 to have been sold at an Inglis Select Yearling Sale, joining Reward For Effort, Reaan, Nadeem, Alinghi, Bel Esprit, True Jewels and Road To Success as winners of Victoria's premier two-year-old race.

Today’s win was certainly redemption for top Melbourne trainer Mick Price, who prepared $50,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale purchase Roedean to first past the post in the 2003 Blue Diamond, before the galloper was stripped of the win after returning a positive test.

Bred by Gerry Harvey, Samaready was sold by Vinery Stud at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $150,000 to Damon Gabbedy’s Belmont Bloodstock on behalf of the current group of owners; Vinery Stud (Mgr: P Orton), Greenwich Stud (Mgr: G Perry), Echo Beach Bloodstock (Mgr: A Green), Newstead (Mgr: N Gibson) and Encompass Bloodstock (Mgr: S McCann).

The daughter of More Than Ready is now $4.80 favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the $3.5million Group One ATC Golden Slipper at Rosehill on April 7 ahead of fellow Easter graduate Raceway, who is also by More Than Ready.

There are 30 yearlings by More Than Ready heading to this year’s Easter Sale in Sydney on April 10 to 12 and four to be offered at this week’s Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale on February 27 to March 1.

Vinery Stud also have strong drafts catalogued for both Melbourne (9 lots) and Easter (13 lots).

Easter fillies pick up more black type

Valuable Easter fillies No Evidence Needed, Dystopia and Celebrity Girl added more black type to their resumes, winning stakes events in Sydney and Adelaide.

No Evidence Needed ($130,000 2008 Easter, 5m Shamardal-Generosa) led home an Inglis trifecta in the Group Three ATC Southern Cross Stakes over 1200m at Rosehill. The daughter of Shamardal proved too slick for Neeson and Secret Admirer.

Dystopia ($800,000 2008 Easter, 5m Redoute’s Choice-Bourgeois), a sister to successful sire Stratum, took out the Listed ATC Triscay Stakes over 1200m at Rosehill Gardens.

Celebrity Girl ($500,000 2010 Easter, 3f Starcraft-Dashing Granada) then produced a tough effort first up at Morphettville to take out the Listed SAJC Redelva Stakes after sitting wide for the entire run.