IT IS a race that does not promote warm memories for Mick Price, but the trainer confidently predicted he had unearthed a contender for the $1 million group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes in February after the debut win of filly Samaready at Flemington yesterday, reports the Sunday Age. It says: ''I came here thinking that if she could run a place, I'd be rapt,'' Price said. ''She's underdone, she's soft and nearly had enough. She's a Blue Diamond filly.'' Ridden by Craig Newitt, the More Than Ready fill

IT IS a race that does not promote warm memories for Mick Price, but the trainer confidently predicted he had unearthed a contender for the $1 million group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes in February after the debut win of filly Samaready at Flemington yesterday, reports the Sunday Age.

It says: ''I came here thinking that if she could run a place, I'd be rapt,'' Price said. ''She's underdone, she's soft and nearly had enough. She's a Blue Diamond filly.''

Ridden by Craig Newitt, the More Than Ready filly, who drifted from $5 to $6.50, sat behind the speed on the rail in the 1000-metre straight race, but once called upon she dashed clear to win by 1╝ lengths from Mrs Gray ($8), with the same margin to the third placed Alzora ($31), who finished strongly. Price has never won the Blue Diamond Stakes but trained placegetters three years out of four - Perfectly Ready (2005), World Peace (2004) and Halibery (2003). Most famously, his filly Roedean was first past the post in 2003 but was later disqualified over a positive swab.

Price said Samaready had shown enough in trials to suggest she could be aimed at the juvenile feature in 10 weeks, but admitted he lost a little confidence about her making a winning debut over the past week. ''I was in Hong Kong for a week and my staff were telling me that she was lying down all the time and showing all the signs that she'd had enough, so I did drop off her a bit before this race.

''But I'm more than happy to be bringing her home with a nice cheque [$42,700] in the bank. I said before the race that if she was to win, there is a lot of improvement inher, so we can afford to aim high.'' (www.theage.com.au)