Champion jockey Damien Oliver will have to lean on his years of experience to help provide Perth trainers Sean and Jake Casey with their first group 1 win in Saturday’s $2 million Blue Diamond Stakes.
The West Australian raiders have Brave Halo set for the 1200-metre clash at Sandown, a beaten favourite in the Blue Diamond Prelude earlier this month when finishing a luckless fourth to Godolphin, but the son of Brave Smash will have to do it the hard way after drawing barrier 16 for the two-year-old feature.
Damien Oliver faces a task to win the Blue Diamond from barrier 16.Credit:Getty Images
Sean Casey said he’s taking a half glass full approach to the barrier draw, given Brave Halo drew inside in the Prelude and had no luck in the straight, going to the line surrounded by horses and ultimately untested.
“He just got into a possie where he couldn’t get out,” Casey said.
“He was tightened up and just had to hold his spot and couldn’t get out when he needed to.
“[Oliver] just said if he could have got out in the straight and been able to run with Barber, he would have given him a big shake.
“Putting positives into negatives, it’s not an ideal draw, but I’m saying in my mind the hardest horse to beat is Barber. They’re the two going into the race with obvious improvement in their second-up run. He’s drawn barrier nine, Exploring has drawn out, and James’ [Cummings] other horse [Zulfiqar] has also drawn out wide … so the most dominant in the betting are going to be racing on the outside.”
Oliver has ridden in more Blue Diamonds than any other jockey, a total of 17, for one win, five seconds and two thirds, victorious in 2004 on Alinghi.
And while barrier 16 has never produced a Blue Diamond winner, the race has never been run at Sandown, which will prove an entirely different assignment to past years.
Casey said they would draw on Oliver’s experience to come up with a winning plan.
Brave Halo, in the pink and royal blue with black sleeves, finishing fourth to Barber in the Prelude.Credit:Getty Images
“We have to let Damien work it out,” he said.
“Him being more savvy to the track and the rest of it, I think we’re just going to have to run the same race. We’ll be in the clear this time, so I think we keep our eye on Barber and use him as the benchmark.
“If it’s going to be super biased to inside horses, James’ horses and mine will be vulnerable, but I think they’re the more dominant in the race.
“He knew where he had to push the buttons the other day, but you don’t get any favours over there. He was in a spot where the other jockeys wouldn’t let him out. Hopefully, Ollie can use his knowledge and get in a three deep with cover line.”
Casey said there was no reason why Brave Halo – a winner of three races in Perth before Christmas – couldn’t improve second-up, but he was aware Barber would also likely improve.
“ I have to respect Barber for the fact he’s a big strong horse, and he too is going to benefit from the run the other day, and he did beat us,” Casey said.
“It’s going to be a battle of tactics but a very fast race as well.
“Every race he’s raced in, he’s always attacked the line. His sectionals have always been good, he’s never fallen [over the line] in a race. There’s no reason going on his 1100m run the other day that he won’t run the 1200.
“If it comes to fruition, it’ll be super exciting. We’ve been very lucky in the last couple of years with early two-year-olds. To have a live chance in a group 1, $2 million race, especially with the calibre of horses, trainers and owners in it, it’s a silky day for us.”
