PAUL Messara has enjoyed a great start to the week and hopes to cap it off in Melbourne on Saturday when star colt Beneteau starts favourite in the $1million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m)
Yesterday the Scone trainer grabbed a double at Muswellbrook’s Skellatar Park when first starter Entree and then Pronounce won.
It followed Sunday’s success at Gosford and Saturday’s brilliant win by marvellous mare, Alverta, at Randwick.
Alverta swamped her rivals to win the $150,000 Breeders Classic (1200m), a perfect reward for a consistent
galloper.
“She’s been a marvellous mare for us,” Messara said
yesterday.
“It was a great run.”
On Sunday, Golden Dive won an 1100m Gosford maiden by three lengths.
Yesterday Entree and then Pronounce both won, the latter by a short head while first starter Entree won the Judith Gelder Memorial Country Plate (1000m) by almost two lengths.
Entree’s win might have been prophetic for Messara.
The two-year-old daughter of Snitzel was having her first start in a race.
“She’s only a tiny little thing,” Messara said.
“She wasn’t wanted at the sale so we bought her back.
“She’s not an impressive looking horse either but in six months’ time as a three-year-old she might make a good horse.”
He’s hoping her win in the feature two-year-old at Muswellbrook will be paralleled at Caulfield this Saturday with stablemate Beneteau.
The impressive colt has won both his starts and is a firm favourite with bookmakers for the million dollar Blue
Diamond.
His Blue Diamond Prelude win was emphatic.
He had it won a long way from home,” Messara agreed.
“He’s ready to go,” he said.
“It’s just a matter of taking it one day at a time.
“We just hope we get him there and he gets his chance.”
Meanwhile, AAP reports David Hayes will make key gear changes to two of his three runners in a plot to win his sixth Group One Blue Diamond Stakes.
Hayes has resorted to one of his favourite tactics with Evidentia by ordering blinkers for her for the first time in Victoria’s premier two-year-old race on Saturday while stablemate Shaaheq will wear winkers for the first time.
Hayes will also start Legalistic in the Diamond and he believes any one of his three runners could cause an upset.
“As usual, it is going to be very competitive but I am very happy with my lot going into the race,” Hayes said.
“I think they are all improving horses and that is one of the keys to winning the Blue Diamond, having a horse on a rising flame.”