Blue Diamond Stakes: Maher and Eustace colt value at $18 in all-in betting
There are no clear standouts in this year's Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes, with the unbeaten Barber and maiden filly Steel City sharing favouritism at $6 with Betr.
The Instructor ($8.50), Don Corleone ($11) and Little Brose ($14) round out the top five in all-in betting on the February 25 juvenile feature.
Punters Inside Run form analyst James Lamb believes there are two horses worth backing early and both are from the Maher and Eustace stable.
"Although still a maiden, the form around Steel City reads incredibly well for this.
"She finished second to Red Resistance who then rolled King's Gambit, and second to Learning To Fly who was a brilliant winner of the Inglis Millennium last Saturday," Lamb said of the $700,000 filly.
Steel City currently sits 23rd in the Blue Diamond order of entry, with 16 to run, but there are a number of horses ahead of her in the ballot who have already been ruled out or are unlikely to run.
Lamb thinks the value in all-in betting might be with Steel City's stablemate Veecee, an eye-catching winner on debut.
"Veecee looks overs at $18. A colt who was an impressive winner over 1100m on debut and then dropped back to 1000m second-up, going from a Good 4 to a Soft 6.
"Maybe the wet track just dulled his turn-of-foot. I don't think he will start $18 on the day if we get a dry track," Lamb said.
