Kennewell’s two-pronged attack on Diamond preview

Written by Bren O'Brien

Caulfield trainer Lloyd Kennewell will attack Tuesday's Listed Blue Diamond Preview for the colts and geldings with two youngsters with very different profiles, but similar ambitions.

The traditional Australia Day kick-off for the Blue Diamond series is always keenly anticipated, and no more so than by Kennewell, who presents recent Flemington winner Abseiler (Extreme Choice) and talented colt Marine One (Capitalist), who resumes after placing in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate in the spring.

Marine One carries the bigger reputation into the race, being a colt that Kennewell and Group 1 Bloodstock purchased for $500,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is raced with several prominent owners, including Ozzie Kheir, as well as his breeders China Horse Club and Newgate.

Kennewell is convinced that the colt by first-season sire Capitalist has the talent to match that reputation, and said he has taken significant improvement off that debut run at Flemington back in November.

"His work has been very sharp. He's a horse that we have always had a lot of time for. He did everything wrong up the straight and we thought he'd go very close to winning on debut in the Maribyrnong Plate, which is why we set him for it," the trainer told TDN AusNZ.

"He did a few things wrong. He wanted to overrace and wasn't 100 per cent comfortable going down the straight at his first start. From that, he's always shown us good ability at the trials and he has bounced through that in really good order.

"He's always been set for this race first-up and we are very much looking forward to seeing what he can do. He could potentially be a very valuable colt if he can run well."

He boasts the pedigree of a potential stallion, being out of juvenile stakes winner and Group 1-placed Golconda (Snitzel). His full brother secured a $975,000 pricetag at the recent Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

The G1 Blue Diamond S., to be run on February 20 on his home track at Caulfield, is his ultimate goal and Kennewell thinks Marine One can improve off Tuesday's run.

"He's still got improvement in him. You’d hope that would be the case first-up. But he's a really nice horse. He's really ticked all the boxes for me in the last 10 to 12 days and has come through everything really, really well," he said.

"I think he's over the odds at the moment."

The ultimate professional

Abseiler is a very different prospect, having been purchased out of the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale for $70,000. He was gelded prior to his debut victory at Flemington and is already the professional racehorse, according to Kennewell.

"He's a pretty no-fuss horse. He's easy going and he just went and had a week on a water walker after he won. He came back in and had a nice gallop leading into this," he said.

"He's just been ticking over since, he has had a trot and a canter and been down to the beach a bit with his mate Marine One. They go down there for recovery and they love it."

It was the comparison to his sire, the 2016 Blue Diamond S. winner Extreme Choice, that won Kennewell and bloodstock advisor Mathew Becker over when he was presented in Perth by Western Breeders Alliance.

"He reminded me of Extreme Choice, the way he looked and everything. He had the similar shape and mould as his old man. That's what drew me to purchase him in Perth. Around that value, I thought he was the right type of horse to buy out of the Sale," Kennewell said.

"When he came back, he was a bit colty, so we gelded him and that's turned him into a really neat horse that does everything you want him too.

"He does everything right now and he's very push button. He eats, works and sleeps and does everything right and he's going into the race as good as he could possibly be, which is great."

While he wasn't in the same price range as his stablemate and rival on Tuesday, Abseiler has a pedigree to recommend him as a top 2-year-old prospect, being out of a half-sister to Listed winner Missy Cummings (Magnus), the dam of Group 2 winner Mizzy (Zoustar).

His full sister was purchased for $250,000 at the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, boosted by her brother's excellent debut win at Flemington.

Asked to choose between the pair, Kennewell has a leaning towards Marine One.

"I've got a soft spot for Marine One, and if he takes his trackwork to the races, that's the big thing. It’s all good being a good trackworker and a nice trial horse, but you need to see what is there when the chips are down and he has to produce on raceday," he said.

"With Abseiler, we know that he goes to the races and he does everything right and gives you 110 per cent."

Ruby ready to roll

Kennewell also has representation in the fillies' division of the Blue Diamond Preview, which is run at Group 3 level.

Ruby Mockingbird (Written Tycoon) makes her debut in what looks a strong edition of the race.

"She's a filly that has been no fuss and has been doing everything right. She deserves a crack at going into a race at her home track first-up, she has trialled well," he said.

She was purchased for $150,000 out of the Merricks Station draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale and is out of a half-sister to Group 3 winner Detours (Ad Valorem {USA}).

"She has trained on really well and has come of age. You want to see these 2-year-olds coming on, not going downhill coming into these races. She is one that has really come on. I think she’ll parade really well in the yard. She is a good, strong 2-year-old filly. She's by Written Tycoon out of a Snitzel mare, so she is bred to be fast," he said.

Kennewell said while the opposition in the race, namely the G3 Ottawa S. winner Dosh (Rich Enuff) and recent Flemington winner Frost Flowers (Frosted {USA}), was strong, it was worth a throw at the stumps at stakes company first-up.

"If you can get black type for a filly first go and run top three with a filly, it enhances her value as a broodmare proposition for later on," he said.