Hanseatic eases for Diamond following draw

Blue Diamond favourite Hanseatic has drawn barrier one as he aims to remain unbeaten.

Assistant-trainer Sam Freedman does not see barrier one as a hindrance to the chances of favourite Hanseatic in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

After coming up with barrier one, Hanseatic eased from $2.30 to $2.40 for Saturday’s Group One race for two-year-olds over 1200m.

Hanseatic is chasing a clean sweep in the Blue Diamond series, having won the colts and geldings Preview and Prelude in the lead-up.

The series was last completed by Sepoy who went on to win the Golden Slipper.

Freedman, assistant to his father Anthony, said the draw was not ideal and the colt would need some luck, but it was better than drawing barrier 16.

The Freedman stable, along with jockey Luke Currie, is chasing consecutive Blue Diamond victories for Godolphin after Lyre took out Victoria’s two-year-old showpiece last year.

“It shouldn’t take him out of his comfort zone too much. He should be midfield, maybe a touch worse,” Freedman said.

“The good thing about the Blue Diamond is they tend to run along in the race and he should get a lovely run the whole way though.

“He’s just going to need a bit of luck, which you do in a Blue Diamond anyway.”

Freedman labelled Rulership, second favourite at $6, the danger after he drew barrier seven while he also conceded Letzbeglam, one of two runners for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young and third pick at $8, was an excellent chance.

The Busuttin and Young team will also be represented by Tagaloa having resisted the temptation to start Larimer Street after his third placing in the Inglis Millennium at Warwick Farm last week.

Busuttin could not have been happier with their draws which he said offered both Letzbeglam (3) and Tagaloa (4) their opportunities.

Letzbeglam won the Fillies Prelude on February 8 while Tagaloa finished fourth behind Hanseatic in the colts and geldings division on the same day.

“Letzbeglam should get a nice run, whether that’s in front or just behind the speed,” Busuttin said.

“Tagaloa is going to be the big improver.

“He was a bit soft going into his last start and hopefully he can get a good run from that draw and be right in the finish.”

With six runners in Saturday’s race, David Eustace, who trains in partnership with Ciaron Maher, said it was a big effort by the team to get that many horses into the field.

Maher and Eustace saddle Ideas Man, Rathlin, Tanker, Away Game, A Beautiful Night and Muntaseera.

“We knew we had a lot of two-year-olds to play with but then you’ve got to target them in the right races and plan to get them all here and not to bump heads,” Eustace said.

“It’s a great effort by everyone to get them here in good physical condition and winning the right races to get in.

“Hopefully they can do the talking on Saturday.”