VICTORIAN STALLIONS PLAY THE BRIDESMAID, THIS TIME

The progeny of Victorian stallions had to play bridesmaid at Caulfield on Saturday but all the second placegetters showed that with some luck in running a big race win is just around the corner.

The first of the runners up was Carrara, which had the unenviable task of chasing Denman in the Listed Wellington R.C Stakes eventually finishing three lengths behind the star 3yo. Carrara, a son of Blue Gum Farm's star resident Elvstroem, has taken his record to 5 wins and 6 placings from 12 starts and is well on his way to becoming the first million dollar earner for his sire.

Next to take second spot on the dias was She's Got Gears, a daughter of the former Chatswood Stud shuttler Invincible Spirit. It took a scintillating debut by Psychologist to topple the classy 2yo filly in the Blue Diamond Prelude for Fillies, a new class record set for the 1100m sprint.

The colts division of the Blue Diamond Prelude again produced a new class record performance by Beneteau with General Truce giving another high class effort to finish two and a half lengths behind the impressive colt with another two and a half lengths to third place. The son of Indepenedent Stallions resident Brief Truce now has two wins a second from his three career starts and will now push on to the 2yo Grand Final the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes where he will attempt to emulate the feats of True Jewels (Brief Truce x Occasional Gain,) which won the race in 2001.

Completing the quadrella of seconds was Lucky Secret, which after tracking wide for a substantial period of the race was still courageous enough to come second to Here De Angels, which benefitted from a cosy run off the pace finishing over the top of the gun sprinter to win the G3 Rokk Ebony Rubiton Stakes, named after the sire of Lucky Secret. Rubiton stood with distinction for many years at Blue Gum Farm taking out the Champion Victorian Stallion Award thanks to the feats of Fields of Omagh.

Racing in Adelaide was for more kind to the Victorian stallion ranks with wins by the progeny of Desert King (King of the Sun - 2500m Hcp), Ne Coupez Pas (Shout Out Loud - 1600m Hcp) and former Victorian residents Grass Wonder, Perugino and Desert Sun also siring winners.

Industry stalwart Racer's Edge also enjoyed success in the form of Red Sphere, which made it three wins in a row in the $45,000 1350m Hcp at Doomben.