BLUE Diamond Stakes favourite Beneteau has the pedigree and form to win Saturday's $1 million race at Caulfield and now he also has the favours at the barrier after yesterday's crucial draw, reports Andrew Eddy in The Age.His report adds: A firm $3.60 favourite, Beneteau will jump from gate nine of 16 starters but it was the gates drawn by those ranked as his main dangers that confirmed his position at the top of the market for Victoria's premier two-year-old race.Second favourite Psychologist,
BLUE Diamond Stakes favourite Beneteau has the pedigree and form to win Saturday's $1 million race at Caulfield and now he also has the favours at the barrier after yesterday's crucial draw, reports Andrew Eddy in The Age.
His report adds: A firm $3.60 favourite, Beneteau will jump from gate nine of 16 starters but it was the gates drawn by those ranked as his main dangers that confirmed his position at the top of the market for Victoria's premier two-year-old race.
Second favourite Psychologist, who drifted from $4.40 to $6 after the draw, must become the first horse in the race's 39-year history to win from barrier 16, while third favourite Star Witness ($7 to $8) drew alongside her in gate 15.
Next in the betting is speed filly Crystal Lily ($7 to $9), who faired little better in barrier 11.
Beneteau's trainer, Paul Messara, was understandably pleased. ''Just the way the barriers have panned out, we should find ourselves in a pretty nice position,'' he said.
''There's pretty good speed with those horses drawn out wide, so we'll probably camp on their back and go from there.''
A winner of his only two starts - at Randwick and Caulfield - Beneteau, a $1 million yearling purchase, is by 1999 Blue Diamond winner Redoute's Choice out of Slice Of Paradise, who is a dual stakes-placed sister to the 2004 winner Alinghi.