3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 2 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (F) won by Exploring at Sandown on Saturday.

Race Result:

1st: Exploring (Craig Williams/James Cummings) - $15
2nd: Party For Two (Nikita Beriman/Damien Batters) - $8.50
3rd: Extreme Threat (Ethan Brown/Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr) - $41

Winning Time: 1:03.49  Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 1L x ¾L

It's @godolphin again!

Exploring led throughout & won the fillies edition of the Blue Diamond Prelude @CWilliamsJockey pic.twitter.com/VtXTM293wg

— Racing.com (@Racing) February 11, 2023

Winning Trainer: James Cummings (rep by Sean Keogh)

"We saw on debut that wonderful constitution she had to put herself in the race and close it off well.

"Really tough in the Preview with horses either side of her from the get-go in the breeze and she just faltered a little bit late but Craig was confident in how he rode her and so was James (Cummings).

"So we didn't fault on the tactics. We brought her here on Tuesday morning and she did a wonderful piece of work that we feel gave her confidence again and it was great to see her produce another good performance."

Does she head to Blue Diamond or Thoroughbred Breeders Plate: "The choices are there and on what she's done today she'll acquit herself really well and that will be up to James and the team to really cement a decision with only a fortnight away to the big one.

"We had a wonderful colt in the previous race put them to bed which Jamie (Kah) thought she had more in the tank, so the guys will weigh that up on Monday morning but we're delighted to get that black-type race out of the way and now she's quite valuable."

Winning Jockey: Craig Williams

Improvement from New Year's Day to now: "James, Sean and all the people in Melbourne, they do a really good job with their horses .

"When you see them up and you know they're happy with them. I got to sit on her on Tuesday morning and I was really impressed by the way she worked compared to her performance the race before, and she backed it up today."

How did she handle the speed around her: "She wanted to keep going fast and I was a bit of a passenger so she was quite fresh early.

"She did all the running and she did all the fighting there so full credit to her."

The day: 'It's great to see the crowd out here. It is great to see a family day and all the young faces - hopefully the future involved in horse racing to see that there is more than one aspect of the sport and not just gambling.

"And it is great to see Sandown being utilised for big meetings and it is a very fair track for us jockeys to ride on."