Daniel Ganderton gets the chance to become just the third apprentice to win the Blue Diamond Stakes when he rides the favourite Beneteau in Saturday's Group One $1 million feature at Caulfield.The 21-year-old would be the first apprentice in 29 years to win the race if successful with the last to achieve the feat being Graham Robson aboard the Albert McKenna-trained filly Black Shoes in 1981.Alf Matthews scored on 40-1 outsider Out Of Danger for Colin Hayes in 1976.Ganderton was having his first

Daniel Ganderton gets the chance to become just the third apprentice to win the Blue Diamond Stakes when he rides the favourite Beneteau in Saturday's Group One $1 million feature at Caulfield.

The 21-year-old would be the first apprentice in 29 years to win the race if successful with the last to achieve the feat being Graham Robson aboard the Albert McKenna-trained filly Black Shoes in 1981.

Alf Matthews scored on 40-1 outsider Out Of Danger for Colin Hayes in 1976.

Ganderton was having his first ride at Caulfield when he guided the beautifully-bred Beneteau to victory in the Group Three Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for colts and geldings at Caulfield on February 6.

It was that win which earned the Redoute's Choice colt Blue Diamond favouritism.

Despite the perceived pressure of riding the favourite in Victoria's most prestigious two-year-old event, the relatively inexperienced Ganderton doesn't seem fazed at all about the task at hand.

He's had four rides in Group One mounts to date, his best result being sixth aboard Musket in the 2009 Doncaster.

Originally from Tasmania where he was apprenticed to his uncle Mark Ganderton, he was recruited by Gai Waterhouse and moved to Sydney just under two years ago.

He was leading apprentice in Sydney last season but his momentum was suddenly halted when he suffered a broken leg in a race fall on Newcastle Cup day last spring, sidelining him for four months.

"It was pretty disheartening as I had some good rides coming up over the spring," Ganderton said.

"Had that not happened I may have already won a Group One."

His best success to date is the Group Three Silver Shadow Stakes aboard Queensland filly Deer Valley at Randwick last August.

Ganderton is now indentured to Beneteau's trainer Paul Messara and sees the Scone-based stable as his future.

Already he has ridden several winners for Messara including smart sprinter Battlefield to two Listed wins, in the 2009 Ascot Handicap at Eagle Farm and the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.

Messara and his father John, whose Arrowfield Stud bred Beneteau and races him in partnership with Julian Blaxland's Sky Blue Thoroughbreds, have shown great faith in Ganderton in leaving him on the colt.

Several approaches have been made from top senior jockeys chasing the ride including Dwayne Dunn who won the Blue Diamond four years in succession from 2005 but doesn't have a mount this year.

"At the end of the day if the managers didn't ring up for the ride they wouldn't be doing their job. Every jockey wants to ride the best horse in the race and he's the best horse in the race so you expect that," Ganderton said.

"I'm glad and extremely grateful that my services have been retained.

"He's the sort of horse you dream about when you start riding. A horse with his potential, the sky's the limit for him."

Ganderton said there were several speed horses outside of his mount who will jump from barrier eight in the 15-horse field.

"It's a bit hard to gauge how hard they'll go. Tricky Tricky coming out changes the complexion of the race a little bit but Beneteau has good natural speed so he can take up a position," he said.

Beneteau retains favouritism at $3.20 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Psychologist at $7, Star Witness ($8), Crystal Lily ($9), Secession ($10) and Shaaheq at $13 with Willow Creek next best at $18.