The $150,000 Geelong Diamond (1100m) for two year-olds was run on Saturday and the winner Cherish Me has earned ballot exemption for the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes in February.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Thomas Stockdale, Cherish Me was making her debut and produced a brilliant finishing burst to overhaul Bivouac filly Cavalry Girl, who was also on debut and had skipped clear and looked the winner.
Cherish Me warmed to the task in impressive fashion over the last 100m and opened up to win by a couple of lengths.
“She trialled similar to how she raced just then, she sat off them and has a really smooth long action and can build and go through her gears,” said stable representative Jack Turnbull.
“She was well found by Louis Le Metayer of Astute Bloodstock and has a similar ownership group to A Little Deep (stakes-winning mare this season) and it looks like they’ve got another smart filly.
“It was ideal to get that bit of prizemoney and form and now we can map out a better plan into the bigger races.”
Cherish Me was a $280,000 Magic Millions purchase for Astute Bloodstock from the Segenhoe Stud draft and runs for an ownership group headed by Aussie based French bloodstock agent Louis Le Metayer.
Cherish Me is a half-sister by Brazen Beau to Group III winner Thought of That and Group II placed Daily Bugle and is the fifth winner from five foals to race from Hold Me Closer, a winning half-sister by Danehill Dancer (IRE) to Group I Golden Slipper placed stakes-winner How Funny, the dam of stakes-winner Jester’s Girl, who is in turn the dam of stakes-winner Assimilate.
Hold Me Closer has a yearling colt by So You Think and is in foal to King’s Gambit after missing the previous season.
Cherish Me is the second smart debut juvenile winner on Saturday produced by Segenhoe joining Randwick debut winner Rivellino, read about him here.
