1/3/2002 edition

Blue Diamond Stakes

Weren't those experts amazing?

I heard one tipster put Brief Embrace on top in the race because the filly was "good each way value" while at the same time claiming that "Bel Esprit is the measuring stick." Don't agree with that type of logic.

Then there were all those experts looking to past history of the race and concluding that Bel Esprit would not win. Just as well Bel Esprit didn't know the history of the past winners.

Then there was the false argument that the Blue Diamond was a high pressure race and Bel Esprit might not handle the pressure. Even "Lucky Lil" on our forum fell for that one. What about the pressure for all the other runners whose form was lengths below Bel Esprit's form?

Bel Esprit more than handled the pressure, working early to take the lead and then kicking away to open up a winning break rounding the home turn. Sure, Brief Embrace and Pillaging made up good ground on Bel Esprit over the last 100 metres with Brief Embrace only going down by a long neck.

Before you accept the theory that Bel Esprit fell in have a look at the time run by Bel Esprit over the 1200 metres race. It was 1:09.23, which was 0.55 seconds faster than North Boy took to win a 3YO Open over the same distance earlier in the day, (granted North Boy carried 59kg. which was 3.5kg. more than Bel Esprit).

When North Boy carried 54.5kg. two weeks earlier he was only beaten by three lengths in the Group 1 Lightning Handicap at Flemington after being held up for a run.

Bel Esprit also ran 0.05 seconds faster than Mr. Magoo who carried 56.5 kg. to win an Open Welter two races earlier in the day.

Bel Esprit's time also compared very favourably with Sudurka who carried the same weight as Bel Esprit and won the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate over 1100 metres in 1:02.58 at Caulfield two races after Bel Esprit won the Blue Diamond.

Bel Esprit is just a two year old. On comparative times Bel Esprit's win was outstanding.

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