ADAM Duggan seriously considered running former Hong Kong sprinter Diamond Diesel in last Friday’s $200,000 Tamworth Showcase Cup (1400m).
But the Gosford trainer changed tack and instead ran him in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens yesterday – and came up trumps.
Ridden by Tom Sherry, the lightly-raced Diamond Diesel was a $10 chance and did a terrific job under 60kg to defeat Silent Impact ($9.50) and Huesca ($4.80), posting the sixth victory of his 18-start career.
“I accepted with him for the Tamworth race, but thought it came up a bit strong,” Duggan explained on Sunday.
“I went to Rosehill quietly confident he would run well, even though he had a bit of weight.”
Diamond Diesel came off two unsuccessful attempts to qualify for the $1m Provincial-
Midway Championship Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 13, and there were valid excuses for both defeats.
“He was still a bit above himself when he ran sixth in the Gosford Qualifier (1200m) on March 16 as he hadn’t raced since winning the Malcolm Cusick Stakes over the same distance at home in late December,” Duggan said.
“Then he drew near the outside in the Wyong Qualifier (1350m) a fortnight later and never got on the track.”
Star Newcastle apprentice Dylan Gibbons and Perth’s dual The Quokka winning rider Josh Parr are normally Duggan’s “go to riders”, but it was Sherry who got the job done at Rosehill.
“When I was looking at going to Tamworth with Diamond Diesel, I didn’t want Dylan missing out on a ride in the Rosehill race (as it turned out his mount Gracilistyla was withdrawn), and Josh had been booked for Bjorn Baker’s Shameonus (who ran fourth at $51),” Duggan explained.
Diamond Diesel was exported to Hong Kong after winning a 900m Rosehill trial in January, 2020 as a three-year-old.
He raced only once overseas before returning to Australia and coming under Duggan’s care. Six wins later for TCR (Derek Tam and Peter Coffey Racing), the gelding has now earned nearly $350,000 – with seemingly more to come.
“I was rapt with his Rosehill win,” Duggan said. “He raced on the worst section of the track near the inside in the straight, but the fact he can handle good and wet ground no doubt was to his advantage.
“He is a tough bugger, and seems to improve each time I put him back into work.
“I was thinking of running him next in the Country Cup (a Benchmark 84 Handicap, 1400m) at the Scone carnival on May 17, but doubt he would be eligible.”
Diamond Diesel’s triumph took Duggan to within one win of a career 150.
Newcastle trainer Jason Deamer also was in the Rosehill winner’s list, scoring with Hard To Say ($10) in the Benchmark 94 Handicap (1100m).
Like his Gosford counterpart, he also pulled the right rein in going to Rosehill rather than risking a wet track at Hawkesbury’s stand-alone meeting on Saturday as rain is forecast this week.
Hard To Say (Nash Rawiller) clinched the seventh victory of his 21-start career, and Deamer, understandably, paid tribute to his talented four-year-old.
“He is a beauty,” he said. “He has been in work for a year with little breaks and has been to Queensland a few times as well.
“We were thinking of waiting for Hawkesbury, but Hard To Say is at his best on good tracks and we felt it best not to take the risk.
“Hard To Say has raced very well at his last few runs (the last three in Group 3 events and was placed in two), and the Rosehill race was a drop back in grade and suited him nicely.”
Deamer has a few options for the gelding’s next assignment, with the Listed Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at the Scone carnival on May 18 a real possibility – weather dependent, of course.
Story John Curtis, April 28, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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