Trainer Chris Waller has strengthened his chances for the Caulfield Guineas with his promising colts Diameter and Somethings Burnin’ battling out the Group 2 Stutt Stakes at Caulfield on Sunday.
Champion jockey James McDonald managed to find a narrow gap late, steering Diameter to a tight victory over his stablemate.
The Brazen Beau colt narrowly defeated Somethings Burnin’, a son of Darley stallion Too Darn Hot, in a close finish.
Both colts were using the race as a test for the Caulfield Guineas, and Waller expressed satisfaction with their performances, indicating their readiness for tougher challenges.
“They’re two nice horses,” Waller said.
“He (Diameter) showed us in the autumn that he’s up to the better horses.
“He means a bit to us being a son of Brazen Beau, so it is good to have him for Godolphin.
“He (Somethings Burnin’) is a work-in-progress and he still gets a bit keen.
“We wanted to try him over a mile to see where he’s at but he’s likely a prep away so there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Diameter, the second favourite at $3.20, secured the win by a short-head from Somethings Burnin’ ($8), with Scarole ($10), trained by Ciaron Maher, finishing a head back in third.
This marked the second Stakes win for Diameter, who had previously won the Listed Fernhill Stakes (1600m) in the autumn and placed behind stablemates Fireball and Campione D’Italia in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.
McDonald was impressed by Diameter’s determination to win when faced with a challenging situation.
“It looked a bit dicey at the top of the straight, to be fair, but I had a willing partner to get us through that,” McDonald said.
“He was superior and he did a really good job.
“There’s a good race in a couple of weeks here for him and it has Group 1 next to its name, so I could definitely see him figuring in that.
“He’s on the way up.”
Diameter’s odds for the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 10 at Caulfield were tightened to $11, and he shares the same price for the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick two weeks later.
For those keen to back a contender, check out the latest Australian betting sites for the upcoming feature races.