The Blue Diamond Stakes is a jewel in Australia’s horse calendar in addition to being the most lucrative Victorian race for two-year-old runners with a whopping $2,000,000 up for grabs in prize money. The 1,200m Blue Diamond Stakes is held at the lovely Caulfield Racecourse where it is run under set weight requirements to level the field. The Blue Diamond Stakes has transformed into a focal race for young talents ever since its inception in 1971.
Blue Diamond Stakes Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025
Blue Diamond Stakes Information
Looking for some quick facts about the Blue Diamond Stakes? No stress, we’ve got you covered! Check out the table below:
📅Date: | Saturday 22nd February, 2025 |
⌚Race Time: | TBA |
📏Race Distance: | 1,200 metres |
🛣️Racecourse: | Caulfield Racecourse |
🐎Conditions: | 2YO Set Weights |
🏅Status: | Group 1 |
🏆Prize Money: | $2,000,000 |
🏇2024 Winner: | Hayasugi |
- Race Information
- About the Blue Diamond Stakes
- Blue Diamond Stakes Tips
- Best betting sites
- Blue Diamond Stakes Betting
- Blue Diamond Stakes Field
- Blue Diamond Stakes Field
- Blue Diamond Stakes Form Guide
- Blue Diamond Stakes Horses
- Blue Diamond Stakes Odds
- Blue Diamond Stakes History
- Blue Diamond Stakes Results
- Blue Diamond Stakes Replay
- Blue Diamond Stakes Winners
- Blue Diamond Stakes FAQs
About the Blue Diamond Stakes
Being one of the premier thoroughbred horse races for two-year-olds in the country, the Blue Diamond Stakes also boasts one of the richest prize pools for any race, either Australian or International, for two-year-old Group 1 racers.
Additionally, the Blue Diamond Stakes is one of the most prestigious Group One races worldwide with many notable winners in years gone by. The aforementioned 1,200m trip is under set weights to see which 2YO has the class to come out on top.
For those who don’t know what we mean by a Group 1 race, it is the highest level of horse racing in Australia for thoroughbreds, usually bringing in a host of the nation’s best runners. All these horses meet at Caulfield Racecourse in Victoria to fight it out for the Blue Diamond Stakes.
In this page dedicated to the Blue Diamond Stakes, we will dive into the history of the Blue Diamond Stakes and its home venue of Caulfield Racecourse. Caulfield Racecourse is one of the top tracks in Australia and is home to many Group 1s, including none other than the Caulfield Cup.
Be sure to check back with us here at OnlyRacing.com.au as we will investigate the potential field of runners for the Blue Diamond Stakes, where and how to bet and where to watch the Blue Diamond Stakes come race day on Saturday the 22nd of February 2025. We hope this information assists you in knowing the ins and outs of the Blue Diamond Stakes and informs you as to what to punt on for the big race.
The prize money for the Blue Diamond Stakes is eye-popping, thanks for sure. So, why don’t you check out the breakdown below (and dream about the things you would buy if you were an owner of the winning horse!):
Place: | Prize Money: |
1st | $1,200,000 |
2nd | $360,000 |
3rd | $180,000 |
4th | $90,000 |
5th | $50,000 |
6th, 7th & 8th | $20,000 |
Blue Diamond Stakes Tips
The field for the Blue Diamond Stakes is not yet available, but we are expecting to see a star-studded field taking part in the race! Once we know which runners will be taking part, our experts have all the details they need to provide their Blue Diamond Stakes tips for the race. We also have heaps of Caulfield tips as well, if you want tips all throughout the year.
It is also worth noting that the prices of some of these horses for the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes will drop as the race time gets closer due to the field being finalised. It is likely very beneficial to lock in your favourite runners early to ensure the best price on your fixed bets for the Blue Diamond Stakes on February 22nd.
With the Blue Diamond Stakes still a little while away, we don’t want to leave you empty-handed, so please check out our free horse racing tips for the race in 2024! Our experts are chomping at the bit to get their tips up for the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes, so we will provide the details as soon as their tips are in!
Our expert crunched the numbers, looked at all the data and these are their tips for the Blue Diamond Stakes in 2024:
Blue Diamond Stakes Best Bet - Bodyguard
Steering clear of the favourite for my best bet, shock horror, I know! But I’m just loving what Bodyguard has been doing recently. I’ve liked the look of him for a while now and think he is primed to put in another big show and win the Blue Diamond Stakes.
Currently, on the third line of betting at $7.00 with PlayUp, Bodyguard won the Prelude for the Colts & Geldings, which is known as a great lead-up race, so that’s a big tick in my books. I think he will settle in mid-field and that leaves him perfectly poised for a last strike in the closing stages of the race.
Blue Diamond Stakes Next Best - Eneeza
Eneeza is currently listed at $11, so she is certainly in roughie territory, but I like the value Eneeza brings compared to the favourite, Coleman. Eneeza was no match for Coleman in the Group 3 Chairmans Stakes, but Eneeza’s sectionals in the closing stages of the race were just as good as the winners.
Eneeza put in a great performance to win the Listed Merson Cooper and I think the distance of 1,200m is much more suitable here. Expect a bold showing from Eneeza and I think the tables can be turned on Coleman in this race.
Blue Diamond Stakes Best Roughie - Spywire
We have seen some roughies win the Blue Diamond Stakes in the past, and for my best roughie, I simply cannot go past Spywire. I cannot believe he is paying $34 with PlayUp at the time of writing!
He’d had a great jump-out win and I think he will run a good race this time out. The only question for me is the wide draw, but all he needs is even luck and I believe he will at least finish in the top three.
Best Betting Sites for Group One Races
Blue Diamond Stakes Betting
Betting on the Blue Diamond Stakes successfully usually requires an analysis of a wide range of punting markets using different betting app. This is our recommendation but we have no doubt some of you may be lucky to pick the winner of the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes.
Below is a list of suggestions for markets to bet on for the Blue Diamond Stakes:
- Fixed Win/ Place bets on the best and your favourite runner/s in the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes.
- Exotic bets in the form of Exacta/ Quinella/ Trifecta/ First Four to cover all your bases and favourite runners in the Blue Diamond Stakes this year.
- Quaddies and multi bets across the entirety of the February 22nd meet at Caulfield Racecourse to include the Blue Diamond Stakes runners, as well as runners from other races at Caulfield Racecourse that day.
So there are our recommended markets for you to try out with when it comes to betting on the Blue Diamond Stakes. But now the question remains - who are you going to bet with? It’s a simple question, but it can have a complicated answer due to the fact there are so many horse racing betting sites to choose from!
It’s not all doom and gloom though, the team at OnlyRacing is always here to help you out, and we’ve conducted a deep dive on all the key Australian betting sites and provided comprehensive reviews on each of them. We think it’s a good idea to have multiple bookie accounts because this means you can take advantage of differing odds and any betting site's bonuses.
One of the top bookies we are loving at the moment is Elitebet. They are a true horse racing bookie and certainly one of the best betting apps with all the bells and whistles you’ll love. Their odds are also very solid, so certainly worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Another bookie that’s on our recommendation list is VicBet. Managed by a father and son duo, VicBet is another bookie that has a great focus on horse racing. There are heaps of betting options available on horse racing and some of the betting promotions you don’t usually see with other bookies.
Dabble is another bookie that you should investigate if you’re in the market for a new bookie. Dabble is all about social betting, and you can copy other punters' bets, see which punters are trending and even chat with other punters in the Banter channels!
So, there are just three of our top recommended bookies. If you’re looking for more recommendations (which we think you are!) on who to bet with on the Blue Diamond Stakes, check out our “Betting Sites” section above!
Blue Diamond Stakes Field
For all those looking for the final field for the Blue Diamond Stakes, we’ve got some not-so-good news for you. The field for the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes Caviar Lightning Stakes is yet to be announced. But you can also check our “Odds” section below, if there is a market available we will show all the horses that are most likely to make an appearance.
Please remember that while the 2025 field is yet to be confirmed, the odds will likely still continue to change in the weeks and days leading up to the race. Odds are very fickle in any race, and this is especially the case for Group 1s.
So, while we wait for the final field in 2025, take a look at the 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes field below:
No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | RUE DE ROYALE (NZ) | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Chad Schofield | 17 | 57kg |
2 | SPYWIRE | Ciaron Maher | John Allen | 18 | 57kg |
3 | BODYGUARD | Peter & Paul Snowden | Mark Zahra | 6 | 57kg |
4 | COLEMAN | Matt Laurie | Ben Melham | 7 | 57kg |
5 | STAY FOCUSED | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Stackhouse | 15 | 57kg |
6 | DUBLIN DOWN | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Harry Coffey | 3 | 57kg |
7 | TRAFFIC WARDEN | James Cummings | Craig Williams | 14 | 57kg |
8 | HIGH OCTANE | Peter & Paul Snowden | Blake Shinn | 10 | 57kg |
9 | ZESTIMAN | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Declan Bates | 8 | 57kg |
10 | FEARLESS | Peter & Paul Snowden | Michael Dee | 16 | 57kg |
11 | HAYASUGI | Clinton McDonald | Ms Jamie Kah | 11 | 55kg |
12 | ENEEZA | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Damian Lane | 5 | 55kg |
13 | LADY OF CAMELOT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 4 | 55kg |
14 | KUROYANAGI | Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea | Brenton Avdulla | 2 | 55kg |
15 | MATISSE | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Luke Currie | 1 | 55kg |
16 | FLYER | Jason Warren | Jye McNeil | 13 | 55kg |
17e | IN HER EYES | Leon & Troy Corstens | Blaike McDougall | 9 | 55kg |
18e | ALTERMATUM | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | 12 | 55kg |
The 2024 edition of the Blue Diamond Stakes saw a jam-packed field of 16 runners plus two emergencies. In the end, there was one scratching of Bodyguard, which meant the first emergency, In Her Eyes, got a chance in the race.
If you’re new to the world of horse racing, you’ll notice that there are lots of scratchings. They are very commonplace, even in key races like the Blue Diamond Stakes. Scratchings can happen on the day of the race or potentially even just a minute before the allotted race jump time.
We’ve all been there and know how annoying it can be to see your chosen runner be scratched. But on the flip side, it’s important to note that you will get your cash back into your account if this does happen.
Something else you need to be aware of when looking at the final field is the barrier draw. While the Blue Diamond Stakes is a sprint race, the barrier doesn’t come into play too much. However, there are still some barriers that have a higher success rate than others, so it is something to consider.
Blue Diamond Stakes Form Guide
The form guide and form indicators for the Blue Diamond Stakes are essential to look at if you’re going to be betting on the race. The stats don’t lie, that’s for sure! It’s vital to have all the information available to you, an informed choice is a good one.
But you don’t have to go scrolling through pages and pages of form to come up with the key indicators. Why? Because we’re here to take care of things for you! There are many patterns we’ve seen emerge throughout the history of the Blue Diamond Stakes, and we will discuss some of the key ones.
Lining up 2YO form is probably harder than Year 12 Advanced Maths! But in recent years there have been some lead-up races that can give us a better indication of how the new cohort is tracking. The races you should look into are the Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) and the Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings).
The Blue Diamond Stakes can turn into the battle of the sexes, but we will usually see the winner come from one of those two lead-up events. As well as this, because 2YOs don’t usually have a lot of races under their belts, it’s a good idea to check the trial form.
When it comes to the favourites, in recent years the favourite runner has performed reasonably well, winning six races between 2011 and 2024. The majority of the winners of the Blue Diamond Stakes have won their previous race, so look for a runner who is in red-hot form. In 2024, winner Hayasugi also won her lead-up race, the Blue Diamond Prelude.
Blue Diamond Stakes Horses
It’s quite clear that the Blue Diamond Stakes attracts the best of the best when it comes to racehorses. There are a few key winners that stand out from the rest though. These are the horses that you probably already know (and love).
The Blue Diamond Stakes has a long history, so have a look below at some of the key horses that have won this epic race:
Key Winners Before 2015
A few of these notable superstar Australian horses that have won the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse include Sepoy in 2011, Shamardal in 2005, as well as Redoute’s Choice in 1999, and Snippets in 1987.
A notable winner of the Blue Diamond Stakes that is considered by many to be one of the top sprint racers Australia has ever seen was Manikato in 1979’s edition of the Blue Diamond Stakes. Even almost 45 years on from Manikatio’s victory as a two-year-old at the Blue Diamond Stakes, he is still regarded as one of, if not the best sprinter Australia has produced.
Written By - 2018
In 2018, the Blue Diamond Stakes saw the most successful jockey in the Blue Diamond Stakes’ history claim his fourth and most recent victory in the feature race for two-year-olds at Caulfield Racecourse. He was jockeying Written By, a colt trained by Grahame Begg.
An interesting fact about Written By was that he was on a hat-trick going into 2018’s Blue Diamond Stakes, completing the task in a comprehensive two-length victory. In that win, Written By established himself as one of, if not the top two-year-old runners in the Australian horse racing scene.
Similarly, to Lyre a year later, Written By went on to win many Group 1 races on Australia’s horse racing circuit, using the Blue Diamond Stakes victory as a platform to catapult himself into some of the biggest races in the nation.
Lyre - 2019
In 2019’s edition of Caulfield Racecourse’s premier two-year-old Group 1 race, the Blue Diamond Stakes, Lyre was the victor. This two-year-old colt won the Blue Diamond Stakes in a rather convincing fashion, beating out his next-best opposition by over a length! For a 1200m race, this is quite incredible.
The colt Lyre was jockeyed by one of Australia’s finest in the form of Craig Williams. Coming into the 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes, Lyre had just won the Group 2 race known as the Preview Stakes at Caulfield (also held at Victoria’s Caulfield Racecourse) which put his name on the map.
Following Lyre’s win in the 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes, he went on to win several Australian Group 1 races with some considering him a major contender for the bigger races. The mare has amassed a significant amount of prize money in her time as well.
Blue Diamond Stakes Odds
Ahh, the Blue Diamond Stakes odds. The glue that holds everything together! Long before race day, all the top horse racing betting apps will put up markets for the Blue Diamond Stakes. Once the markets are up, it’s your choice on when you’d like to bet.
You’ll find that the Blue Diamond Stakes odds in these horse racing markets will be constantly changing. As new information comes to light about potential runners, this will have an impact on the odds. If you’re looking to place a bet on the Blue Diamond Stakes, you might have to wait a little bit. Our favourite bookie at the moment, PlayUp, hasn’t released odds markets yet.
You may already know that fluctuations are very common when it comes to the odds of any race, and that also includes Group 1 races like the Blue Diamond Stakes. A good time to bet on the race is when the market is “Before Noms” because this means you’ll get your stake back even if your horse doesn’t end up running in the Blue Diamond Stakes.
If you’re betting when the market is “All-In”, you won’t get your cash back if your horse doesn’t run. Now, with all that explained, check out the odds a couple of days before the big race for the entire field in the 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes thanks to PlayUp. We will update this table with the odds in 2025 closer to race day.
Runner | Odds |
---|---|
Coleman | $3.60 |
Lady Of Camelot | $4.60 |
High Octane | $6.00 |
Eneeza | $10 |
Stay Focused | $12 |
Kuroyanagi | $14 |
Matisse | $16 |
Hayasugi | $17 |
Spywire | $31 |
Fearless | $31 |
Traffic Warden | $34 |
Rue De Royale | $41 |
Dublin Down | $41 |
In Her Eyes | $41 |
Zestiman | $51 |
Flyer | $101 |
Altermatum | $101 |
*Odds correct as of 23/02/2024.
Blue Diamond Stakes History
Having first run in 1971, the Blue Diamond Stakes has been held annually ever since at the world-famous Caulfield Racecourse. Some of Australia’s best-ever racehorses that have won the previous iterations of the prestigious two-year-old weight-adjusted race include:
- Manikato
- Sepoy
- Redoute’s Choice
The history of the Blue Diamond Stakes is rich with stories and famous winners but there are a couple of fun facts about the race to provide a bit more colour to its history. Since 1971 the Blue Diamond Stakes has been held at Caulfield Racecourse every year, except in 2023 and in 1996 when the famous racetrack was under construction.
Instead, the Blue Diamond Stakes was hosted by Flemington Racecourse for those editions. The Blue Diamond Stakes takes place during one of the key horse racing carnivals of the year, the Autumn Racing Carnival.
Although the distance of the Blue Diamond Stakes has always been consistent in its measure of approximately 1,200m, for the first two years of the Blue Diamond Stakes (1971 and 1972) the race was officially listed as a 6 furlong trip. Whilst this is very close to 1,200m in length, the Blue Diamond Stakes was formally changed to be exactly 1,200m going forward.
Many of Australia’s greatest trainers and jockeys have competed in the Blue Diamond Stakes. However, no trainer has been more successful than David Hayes, boasting a total of five wins to his name. Similarly, jockey Dwayne Dunn has held the reins for four wins at the Blue Diamond Stakes, more than any other jockey.
In 1994, Hurricane Sky put the world on notice as the speedster claimed victory in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse in the quickest time ever of 1 minute and 8 seconds. Incredibly, there has not been a horse that has competed in the Blue Diamond Stakes since that has eclipsed that time.
The Blue Diamond Stakes’ prestige was given a boost in 2016 as the prize money was increased indefinitely for all future iterations of the Blue Diamond Stakes. Prize money before 2016 totalled $1 million, which was increased to $1.5 million going forward. Since then, prize money has increased even further, and now sits at a cool $2 million!
The Blue Diamond Stakes is just one of many races on the calendar. If you are stitching to know more about some of the other races that make up the Australian horse racing calendar, make sure you check out our Group One races list.
Blue Diamond Stakes Results
The results are a key part of the puzzle and everyone wants to know how well their chosen runner went. Have you come out a winner, picking the first horse across the line? All will be revealed as soon as the horses cross the finish line.
The 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes was taken out by first-time Group 1 winner Hayasugi, who had a starting price of $17! As always, the race was run at a fast pace, with Hayasugi crossing the finishing post in just 1:09.56.
In second place was Lady Of Camelot, who was just 0.2L off the pace. Then, in third place, we saw Kuroyanagi 1.2L off the leader. Despite there being 16 runners, the entire field was separated by just 7.3L, so you know it was a hotly contested race.
Check out the full Blue Diamond Stakes results below:
Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Barrier | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 11 | HAYASUGI | Clinton McDonald | Ms Jamie Kah | - | 10 | 55kg |
2 | 13 | LADY OF CAMELOT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 0.2L | 4 | 55kg |
3 | 14 | KUROYANAGI | Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea | Brenton Avdulla | 1.2L | 2 | 55kg |
4 | 12 | ENEEZA | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Damian Lane | 1.3L | 5 | 55kg |
5 | 5 | STAY FOCUSED | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Stackhouse | 1.4L | 13 | 57kg |
6 | 10 | FEARLESS | Peter & Paul Snowden | Michael Dee | 1.9L | 14 | 57kg |
7 | 15 | MATISSE | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Luke Currie | 2.4L | 1 | 55kg |
8 | 7 | TRAFFIC WARDEN | James Cummings | Craig Williams | 2.5L | 12 | 57kg |
9 | 8 | HIGH OCTANE | Peter & Paul Snowden | Blake Shinn | 2.9L | 9 | 57kg |
10 | 1 | RUE DE ROYALE (NZ) | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Chad Schofield | 3L | 15 | 57kg |
11 | 2 | SPYWIRE | Ciaron Maher | John Allen | 3.4L | 16 | 57kg |
12 | 6 | DUBLIN DOWN | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Harry Coffey | 3.6L | 3 | 57kg |
13 | 4 | COLEMAN | Matt Laurie | Ben Melham | 3.7L | 6 | 57kg |
14 | 17e | IN HER EYES | Leon & Troy Corstens | Blaike McDougall | 5.2L | 8 | 55kg |
15 | 16 | FLYER | Jason Warren | Jye McNeil | 5.5L | 11 | 55kg |
16 | 9 | ZESTIMAN | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Declan Bates | 7.25L | 7 | 57kg |
- | 18e | ALTERMATUM | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | 12 | 55kg | 0 | |
3 | 3 | BODYGUARD | Peter & Paul Snowden | Mark Zahra | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Blue Diamond Stakes Replay
We love a good video, and the Blue Diamond Stakes replay is excellent viewing. Check out the full race replay of the Blue Diamond Stakes below:
Blue Diamond Stakes Winners
Text
Year: | Runner: |
2025 | TBC |
2024 | Hayasugi |
2023 | Little Brose |
2022 | Daumier |
2021 | Artorius |
2020 | Tagaloa |
2019 | Lyre |
2018 | Written By |
2017 | Catchy |
2016 | Extreme Choice |
2015 | Pride Of Dubai |
2014 | Earthquake |
2013 | Miracles Of Life |
2012 | Samaready |
2011 | Sepoy |
2010 | Star Witness |
Blue Diamond Stakes FAQs
You’ve almost reached the end of the Blue Diamond Stakes page, congratulations! Gold star for you! But before you go off into the world of punting on this great race, if you’ve got any more burning questions, hopefully, we’ve answered them below.
Where to bet on the Blue Diamond Stakes?
Perhaps the biggest decision you as a punter will make on the day of the Blue Diamond Stakes is what bookie you will place your bets with. To gain some in-depth insights into Australian bookmakers and what specifically they can offer you, see our bookmakers review page for a full list of pros and cons for every single Australian bookmaker available.
How to bet on the Blue Diamond Stakes?
The best place to go when wanting to learn how to bet on the Blue Diamond Stakes is again on our bookmaker review page. Here, you can find out the specific features and markets a bookmaker offers concerning the Blue Diamond Stakes. Be sure to check different bookie markets so you can lock in early odds on your favourite runners!
How to watch the Blue Diamond Stakes?
We are lucky that some bookmakers in Australia offer live-streaming services from domestic race tracks across the country. There are other options as well including free-to-air, along with Foxtel or Kayo.
When is the Blue Diamond Stakes?
The Blue Diamond Stakes is scheduled for Saturday 22nd February 2025 and is the key race on the day.
How long is the Blue Diamond Stakes?
The Blue Diamond Stakes is a sprint race and is only 1,200 metres. Due to this, you’ll find that the margin between the entire field is quite small, and the winner will usually cross the line in just over one minute.
Where is the Blue Diamond Stakes?
The Blue Diamond Stakes takes place each year at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.
Who won the most recent edition of the Blue Diamond Stakes?
In 2024, we saw Hayasugi win the Blue Diamond Stakes, at a starting price of $17.
What is the prize money for the Blue Diamond Stakes?
As the Blue Diamond Stakes is a Group 1 race, there is a heap of prize money on offer! A share of $2 million, to be exact.
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