Australia: All eyes on Frosty Flowers in Blue Diamond Preview for fillies

Frosty Flowers won her debut in the opening of the year at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 1 under a hand ride from jockey Jamie Kah.

The result, in a five-furlong race for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds, has made Frosty Flowers a solid favorite for her stakes debut in Tuesday’s Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview Stakes for fillies at five furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing and trained by the father-son team Anthony and Sam Freedman, Frosty Flowers, by Frosted, is part of a field of 11 in the $123,520 Blue Diamond Preview, a prep for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes, a $1.15 million race at six furlongs at Caulfield on Feb. 20.

Kah will ride Frosty Flowers at a time when she is in excellent form, having won two races on both Friday and Saturday.

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In the Jan. 1 race at five furlongs, Frosty Flowers stalked the pace before taking the lead with about three furlongs remaining, drawing clear by 1 1/2 lengths. In the Blue Diamond Preview Stakes, Frosty Flowers may stalk Dosh, who won her debut and only start in a Group 3 Ottawa Stakes at five furlongs at Flemington on Nov. 5 by leading throughout.

There are four six-figure stakes on the eight-race Caulfield program Tuesday that will be held in conjunction with the Australia Day national holiday. First post time is 9:10 p.m. Eastern, or 6:10 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Blue Diamond Preview for colts and geldings at five furlongs is a more open race than the fillies division. Gulf of Suez, unbeaten in two starts in November, will have his stakes debut against General Beau, who was second in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at five furlongs at Flemington on Oct. 3. Extreme Warrior, second in the Debutant Stakes at five furlongs in his only start at Caulfield on Oct. 10, is also well regarded despite the layoff.

There are two $108,080 sprints for older horses later in the program.

Viral is favored to win his first stakes in his third attempt, and 25th career start, in the John Dillon Stakes at seven furlongs, which drew a field of eight. Viral won a handicap at seven furlongs at Flemington on Jan. 16 to end a six-race losing streak.

Morvada, second in the Group 3 Chatham Stakes at seven furlongs at Flemington on Nov. 7, will have his first start of 2021 in the Dillon.

All Banter, a 3-year-old Australian-bred filly, will be favored to win her third consecutive start in the W.J. Adams Stakes at five furlongs, her stakes debut. All Banter is unbeaten in two races after returning from a layoff of more than three months in mid-November.

All Banter’s main rival in the Adams is Shamino, a 5-year-old gelding who won the Doveton Stakes at five furlongs at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Nov. 14, but was sixth of seven in a handicap at five furlongs at Flemington on Dec. 12, losing by 5 1/4 lengths. Fabergino, the winner of the Dec. 12 race, returned to win the Kensington Stakes at Flemington on Jan. 16.