Coleman shoots to Blue Diamond favouritism
Coleman (Pierata) remained unbeaten and shot to favouritism for the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) with a breathtaking victory in yesterday’s Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield.
A $550,000 Gold Coast purchase last year for his trainer Matt Laurie and Justin Bahen Bloodstock, Coleman started a $2.10 favourite in the five–horse field for his resumption after beating subsequent dual winner Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot) in Caulfield’s Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on October 18.
Yesterday, he settled second for Ben Melham behind Counteroffensive (Deep Field) and was still two lengths behind him at the 200-metre mark. And while that Team Snowden-Newgate-China Horse Club colt weakened in the run to the line, Coleman looked extremely impressive in surging home to score easily.
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman–trained $2.40 second elect Eneeza (Exceed And Excel), who’d been pushing Coleman for favouritism following her dominant victory in Caulfield’s Merson Cooper Stakes (Listed, 1000m) in December, had to be content with second place – two and a quarter lengths behind the son of Pierata (Pierro) – with Counteroffensive a further length away in third.
Bookmakers reacted by shortening Coleman into $4 for the Blue Diamond at Caulfield on February 24, usurping the Snowden-China Horse Club-Newgate debutant winner High Octane (Deep Field) at the top of the market. Coleman was also shortened to the sixth line of betting for the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) at Rosehill on March 23 at $17, behind $3 favourite Storm Boy (Justify).
“That was a really good win – the Snowden horse had him chasing a bit, and there was a split second there where he sort of looked like he was going to come off the bridle,” Laurie said.
“But when he picked it back up, he was super powerful on the line. He’s a very impressive colt and it’s an exciting few weeks ahead.”
The experienced Melham gave Coleman an impressive assessment after the race, saying it would be “scary” once he matured as a racehorse.
“He’s had a busy prep, he trialled two weeks in a row, and then here into a race today,” Melham said.
“Not a lot of two-year-olds would cope with that, but Matty’s managed him very well, and I like the fact he’s got three weeks into the Diamond from here.
“He’s a very good colt really, I think. Still putting it all together but he’s going to be scary when he does.”
“He’s just a very competitive horse.”
Bred and sold by Rhys and Chloe Smith of Kulani Park, Coleman is a half-brother to dual Perth Listed winner Liwa (Mulaazem), and is the third winner from Sboog (Redoute’s Choice), a placed half-sister to Group 2 winner Rothesay (Fastnet Rock) and dual New Zealand Listed winner Sensei (Dream Ahead).
Kulani Park also has a yearling half-sister to Coleman by Flying Artie (Artie Schiller), while Sboog was covered again by Pierata last September.
Coleman remains the sole winner for Pierata from nine runners, but yesterday was still a strong one for Yulong Farm’s resident first-season stallion. He ascended into the top ten of the two-year-old sires’ table by earnings, and the top five among first season sires, while two more of his runners became stakes horses at Rosehill. Fearless took second place in his second start in the Canonbury Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), while his Team Snowden stablemate Wave Breaker ran third on debut in the fillies’ Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m).