DUGGAN’S TOUGH TASK TO GET “DIESEL” BACK TO THE RACES

ADAM Duggan would like to have tried to win the Civic Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday with Diamond Diesel for a second year running.

Unfortunately the wet weather conspired to prevent that opportunity occurring even though the evergreen eight-year-old gelding will line up in another race on the program.

Diamond Diesel will have Hawkesbury apprentice Zac Wadick as his rider to take 2kg off in the Benchmark 94 Handicap (1200m).

Diamond Diesel (Andrew Adkins) trounced his rivals when the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) was rescheduled to a midweek Warwick Farm meeting on June 26 last year, and his trainer had hoped to have another crack at the race this year.

“It was no one’s fault and not the horse’s either, but it was a difficult job even to get him back to the races at Randwick a fortnight ago,” Gosford trainer Duggan said today.

“I wasn’t able to give him two trials, and actually had to take him to Rosehill Gardens for a jumpout a fortnight before he trialled there on May 29.”

Diamond Diesel, at his first start since finishing seventh to subsequent Group 1 winner Briasa in the $1m The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle on November 16, ran 10th to In Flight in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on June 7.

“With only the one trial that was a good starting point,” Duggan said.

“He has taken benefit from that, but it won’t be an easy task on Saturday staying at 1200m and with an awkward barrier.

“And it’s a capacity field and a pretty competitive race.”

Having missed the Civic, Duggan has now set his sights on winning another winter feature with Diamond Diesel.

He has already won eight races with him, and believes Saturday’s race will have him ready for the Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on July 5.

Duggan also hasn’t ruled out taking Diamond Diesel to Grafton for the $200,000 Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) on July 16.

“He would be coming back from the 1400m of the Winter Stakes, but the Ramornie is not off the table,” he said.

. Apprentice Shannen Llewellyn made no mistake at her first ride for her new master, Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle, at Gosford today.

Llewellyn never left the fence on $2.15 favorite Aroha Stone, who surged clear in the closing stages to easily win the F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m).

A three-year-old daughter of El Roca, Aroha Stone was racing for the ninth time and won her second race, having broken through at Port Macquarie over 1500m last November.

Llewellyn began riding only 16 months ago and, after 29 winners in the latter part of last season, has now posted a further 56 so far this season.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees opened the Gosford meeting by scoring with Justice Please ($2.80 favorite) in the Provincial Maiden Plate (1600m).

Having her 12th start, Justice Please was ridden by stable apprentice Ben Osmond and defeated Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan’s Devine Crusader ($6) and Hawkesbury trainer Ed O’Rourke’s Shoot’em Up ($7).

Kembla Grange trainer Anthony Mountney made the trip to the corresponding Bathurst meeting, and scored with Vis I Do ($2.80 favorite) in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1100m).

Ridden by 4kg claiming apprentice Ryan Bradley, Vis I Do tracked through on the fence and put paid to his opposition in the straight to post his fourth victory.

Story John Curtis, June 19, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos