Mark Zahra is riding for the right stable when it comes to Blue Diamond success and is hoping for a change of luck in this year’s race.
The jockey made the wrong call last year getting off the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Artorius in the Blue Diamond Stakes to instead ride the favourite Enthaar for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Victory by Artorius was Anthony Freedman’s second in three years after Lyre won in 2019, carrying the all-blue colours of Godolphin which Zahra wears aboard Daumier in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes for two-year-olds at Caulfield on Saturday.
“They’re a good stable for turning out a winner of this race,” Zahra said.
“But I’m always the one that seems to be jumping off the right one and getting on the wrong one, so hopefully this year I’m getting on the right one.”
Daumier started his career winning Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) on January 26 before finishing third to Lofty Strike and Semillion in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) on February 12.
In a bid to extract a little extra from Daumier on Saturday, the Freedmans have added blinkers to his race day gear.
“I galloped him on Tuesday morning with blinkers on and he’s definitely improved,” Zahra said.
“But he has to improve a few lengths on Lofty Strike from the other day and I’m hoping the blinkers can give us that improvement.
“It is a very even year, but for me Lofty Strike is the one to beat and I’m just hoping with the blinkers on he will sharpen up a bit and can turn the tables.”
The majority of the 16 runners in Saturday’s contest are yet to try Saturday’s 1200m journey and Zahra said that until Daumier attempts it, he will not know for sure whether he will run it.
“It’s going to be a test, it always is for them first time, but I’m going to try and ride him with a bit of a sit,” Zahra said.
“His work in the blinkers showed that he’s going to run a race for sure.”