Exciting two-year-old filly Dosh will have her only run before the Blue Diamond Stakes when she starts in the Preview at Caulfield on Australia Day.
Her trainer Grahame Begg has examined the results of past Blue Diamond Stakes winners and says the best path to the Group One race for a filly is to run in either the Preview or the Prelude, but not both.
Begg has elected to start Dosh in the former and the winner of her only start in the Ottawa Stakes at Flemington on Oaks day will return in the 1000 metre Blue Diamond Preview on Tuesday.
“The other factor to take into account this year is that there’s only 12 days between the Preview and Prelude,” Begg said.
Begg said that he was happy with Dosh, especially her performance in a recent jump out at Sandown Hillside where she sat wide and won.
When she made her debut, Dosh raced greenly over the closing stages and almost cost herself victory but Begg said that was the only time she had displayed that trait.
“I think it had more to do with the straight, which she was seeing for the first time,” he said.
“She went wide on Hillside in that jump out and kept a straight line and they went a fast time running 46 seconds for 800 metres.”
Dosh has drawn barrier one on Tuesday and will be ridden by Jordon Childs.
Begg equates Dosh’s ability as on par with his 2018 Blue Diamond winner Written By.
The trainer confirmed his exciting three-year-old filly Butter Chicken had earned a shot at black-type after she made it two starts for two wins when she came from a long way back to score at Pakenham on Thursday.
“She’s a very well bred, expensive filly, raced by a big owner and breeder, Jonathan Munz, and any black-type would be great for her,” he said.
Begg added Butter Chicken could follow the same path as stablemate Nonconformist, who finished second in the Autumn Stakes then won the Alister Clarke Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Nonconformist has been entered for the All-Star Mile and will return to racing in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield on February 6.