It’s Party time in Blue Diamond
Fairytale filly set to be late entry
DAMIEN Batters has told Party For Two’s Blue Diamond rivals to “watch out” after revealing connections are set to fork out the $55,000 late entry fee for the Group 1 dash at Sandown.
The fairytale two-yearold Queensland filly ran the race of her life when she turned up at Sandown sight unseen to finish runner-up behind Godolphin galloper Exploring in the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies) last Saturday.
Exploring’s winning time was half a second quicker than boom Godolphin stablemate Barber ran in colts and geldings Prelude. For finishing second, Party Of Two’s connections picked up $54,000 which is $1000 less than they will need to find to pay the late entry fee for the Blue Diamond on February 25.
The deadline for late entries is next Monday and Batters confirmed, all going well with the filly, the late entry fee would be paid.
And he insists his filly – who destroyed her opposition in her two most recent Queensland starts before going to Melbourne – is a quick learner.
Party For Two is being stabled at Cranbourne, not having seen Sandown before racing there last Saturday, and he thinks she will be a massive improver in the Blue Diamond.
“Whenever you ask her something new, or try something new, she excels,” Batters said.
“So watch out next time at Sandown. Now she has been there she will be a force in the Blue Diamond, because she will find lengths.
“True to everything I have said all the way through, it’s all dependent on how the filly is going.
“We have got until 12pm next Monday to pay the late entry fee. This filly has taken us on a journey and once she has decided she’s doesn’t want to continue, then I will pull the pin on her campaign.
“But if she ticks all the boxes, she is going to the Blue Diamond.”
Before heading to Melbourne, Party For Two was virtually unknown outside of Queensland.
The filly was twice passed in at the sales before ending up with Batters, a former furniture salesman who turned his hand to training on the Sunshine Coast.
Jockey Nikita Beriman will stay on Party For Two in the Blue Diamond where the filly is currently a $26 chance.
Batters insists his filly won’t be there just to make up the numbers.
“I think if you switch the barriers with the winner last Saturday, I think we would have won,” Batters said.
“She looked like she could have been battling at the 300(m) but Nikita told me afterwards it wasn’t a problem because she had nursed the filly through the dip.
“Once Nikita said ‘let’s go’, it was the first time she has ever used the whip on the filly and she found lengths and she kept finding.”
Party For Two has already taken Batters and connections on the ride of a lifetime. She has won two of her four starts, collected $168,000 in prizemoney and is Group 2 placed.