Queen Of Diamonds secures Oaks favouritism with Lowland win

[Chief Stipe]

Murray Baker, Andrew Forsman, Matt Cameron and the China Horse Club have already won one New Zealand’s classics this season, and blue-blooded filly Queen Of Diamonds is the favourite to give them another after a stylish win in today’s Gr. 2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes at Hastings.

The trainer-jockey-owner combination scored a dominant victory in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November with Madison County, who also won the Gr. 1 Levin Classic and Gr. 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas. After a potential sale to Hong Kong fell through, Madison County has this week travelled to Sydney to prepare for the Gr. 1 Randwick Guineas on March 9.

Queen Of Diamonds is the perfect replacement on the New Zealand domestic scene, with the Gr. 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 16 squarely in her sights.

By Savabeel and from Cambridge Stud’s iconic Eight Carat family, Queen Of Diamonds was a $640,000 yearling purchase at Karaka.

She showed special talent in the spring, winning a Te Rapa maiden by almost five lengths and adding the Gr. 3 Eulogy Stakes at her next start. Since then she has been third in the Gr. 2 Eight Carat Classic, fourth in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic and third in the Gr. 2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic.

But today she took a big step forward. After breaking well from a wide gate, Queen Of Diamonds slid forward to trail the front-running Miss Labasa as the field swung out of the home straight with a lap to go.

Cameron was happy to ease back to third as Miss Labasa and Jakkalbomb lifted the tempo down the back straight, but she was moving forward with ominous ease coming up to the home turn.

Queen Of Diamonds quickened in the straight and took the lead with 250 metres to go, then held on strongly to beat the fast-finishing Imelda Mary and Shezathinka by a length and a half.

“She’s not very lucky with the draws, but she has got that tactical speed at the start,” Cameron said.

“They weren’t making much ground all day. The inside is pretty hot and she got there and went to sleep with the blinkers off and she settled nicely and was too good for them.

“She’s bred to do anything and I think the penny is just starting to drop. She has had a few runs and she did a few things wrong last start and the start before, but she’s up against big girls now and she is stepping up.”

Queen Of Diamonds has now had eight starts for three wins, three placings and more than $162,000 in prize-money.

This was the second Lowland Stakes win in three years for the Baker-Forsman team. They previously won it with Bonneval, who took out the New Zealand and Australian Oaks in her next two starts. Queen Of Diamonds also holds an Australian Oaks nomination.

But the first target is the Trentham classic. Previously the $8 equal second favourite alongside Elate, Queen Of Diamonds has now moved to the top of the New Zealand Oaks market at $3.20.

“There were a few handy fillies in behind her today, so that gives us a lot of positive thoughts heading forward,” Forsman said.

“I guess the 2400 metres at Trentham is another kettle of fish altogether, but she seems to be going the right way.”

Former favourite Imelda Mary remains at $4 in the Oaks market, while Shezathinka has been the big mover from $61 into $10 equal third favouritism.

Queen Of Diamonds also collected eight points in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, moving her to a total of 18. She now shares the top spot with Imelda Mary, whose two points for third lifted her from 16 to 18.

The series continues with the Gr. 3 Sunline Vase at Ellerslie on Saturday, then concludes with the New Zealand Oaks, which is worth 12 points to the winner.

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