Racing: Prelude winners point to thrilling Blue Diamond Stakes

MELBOURNE - Tony Vasil doesn't normally throw his horses in at the deep end but it was easy to see why he ran 2-year-old filly Psychologist on debut in the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday.

The Choisir filly, ridden by Mark Zahra, was too slick for her rivals after jumping straight to the front in the group three event over 1100m.

A $151,103 purchase at the Sydney Easter Yearling Sale, Psychologist ($6.50) raced away to a 4-length win over She's Got Gears ($5.50) with Jalsah ($11) a short head away third.

"That's why we scratched her from Kyneton last weekend," Vasil said on Saturday. "I jumped on her on Tuesday and I just went 'wow'.

"She's always shown good ability and as the last three or four weeks have unfolded she has kept getting better and better and better."

The filly is now one of the top fancies for the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 20.

"It's a fortnight away, she's pretty laid back and I couldn't see a reason why she wouldn't be able to cope with it," Vasil said.

"She's not shin-sore, she's sound and I just hope she stays that way.

"She's beaten the best fillies around with the exception of [Blue Diamond Preview winner] Crystal Lily and she's right in the mix."

Psychologist broke the 1100m class record of 1:03.29, running 1:02.67.

Thirty-five minutes later Redoute's Choice colt Beneteau staked his claim for the Blue Diamond with a powerful win in the colts' and geldings' Prelude running 1:02.45, 0.22s faster than Psychologist.

Scone, NSW, trainer Paul Messara brought the A$1 million Easter Yearling Sale purchase to Melbourne last Monday to settle him in at Caulfield and the colt gave his apprentice jockey Daniel Ganderton his first Melbourne winner at his first ride.

Beneteau, who is out of former star filly Alinghi's full-sister Slice Of Paradise, is unbeaten in two starts, having won a Randwick 2-year-old maiden impressively at his debut on January 26.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds bought into the colt at the sales and race him with his breeder Arrowfield Pastoral.

"It's very exciting for the owners and, hopefully, he'll be standing at Arrowfield one day," Messara said.

"So far he's done everything right. He's not a gross type and you don't have to do a lot with him."

Sent out at $4.60, Beneteau settled sixth of the eight runners and finished strongly to score by 2 lengths from General Truce ($6) with first starter Thegreatandthegood ($31) coming from last to be 2 lengths away third.

"He's a very exciting colt. The sky's the limit with him," Ganderton said.

Market: $3.60 Beneteau, $4.20 Psychologist, $8 Crystal Lily, Star Witness; $11 General Truce, $18 Secession, Shaaheq, She's Got Gears.