Palm Angel Downs Favourite to Win G2 Blue Diamond Prelude

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 8

The $350,000 Group II MRC Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday had a hot favourite in My Gladiola, who was looking to repeat her brilliant debut victory in the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Preview last month, but she came up short when overpowered by Starspangledbanner filly Palm Angel.

Palm Angel downs My Gladiola to win the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude - image Grant Courtney

Trained by Jason Warren and ridden by Ethan Brown, Palm Angel won the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes on debut last spring and was then fifth behind My Gladiola when resuming from a spell, but bounced out of that run to produce a new career best performance.

My Gladiola drew wide and went forward to lead and gave a good kick at the 200m, but when Palm Angel angled out of her slipstream, she surged past the grey to win by a length with Wootton Bassett (GB) filly Wiltshire Square racking up her third stakes placing from three starts.

Palm Angel has won two of three starts banking $336,600 in prizemoney and will head to the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes giving every impression 1200m will suit her event better.

"We went into her first-up run in the Preview a little bit soft, we'd gone there with one jumpout under our belt with a view that our Grand Final was still six weeks away,” Jason Warren revealed.

"So, we used the run to bring her on. The barrier draw last start forced the issue, so we didn't knock her around and felt that we came here much improved and I think we can tighten up a little bit further into the Grand Final in two weeks.”

Palm Angel and her owners celebrate - image Grant Courtney

Ethan Brown has ridden Palm Angel in all three of her starts and is full of praise for the talented chestnut.

"She's got a great constitution, she's a little racehorse,” he said.

"She did have a soft run from the gate, she dropped the bit nicely, but once she got off My Gladiola's back she really sprinted down well.

Advertisement

"I only hit her once or twice, she did the rest herself, and it was quite a soft win."

"The ability to deal with pressure and she does that just fine.

"She put the writing on the wall her first start and she ran well the other day but I said to Jase, 'you've got to just trust she's going to improve out of this run', and she certainly did.

"She was prepared in terrific order by Jase and the team and I'm just rapt to be on her."

Palm Angel is a half-sister  to stakes-placed Narbold and is the second winner from three to race from blue-blood Pivotal mare Noblest (GB), a winning sister to dual Group I winning miler Peeress, the grand-dam of this year’s Group I Newbury Lockinge Stakes winner Audience as well as Group III winners Esquire and Dark Lady.

Noblest was bought by Rosemont Stud at the 2016 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale for 125,000 euros.

Palm Angel is by outstanding sire Starspangledbanner, who covered Noblest again in 2023 resulting in another filly born on August 28 last year and she is now in foal to another of the Coolmore sires in Churchill (IRE).

Palm Angel is the third stakes-winner for Starspangledbanner from a daughter of Pivotal joining Northern Hemisphere bred Spangled and also Aussie Group II winner Brooklyn Hustle, who was also bred and raced by Rosemont Stud.

Advertisment

Race Result - Sportsbet Blue Diamond Prelude (F) Gr2 1100m

Caulfield Track: Good(4) Time: 1:04.61
1
Palm Angel
- 2f Starspangledbanner (AUS) x Noblest (GB) (Pivotal (GB))
Tnr: Jason Warren Rdr: Ethan Brown 56
Starspangledbanner
2
1
My Gladiola
- 2f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Villa Verde (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: John McArdle Rdr: J Mott 56
I Am Invincible
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $550,000
Seller: Kia Ora Stud, Scone
Buyer: Redgum Racing Pty Ltd
3
1.8
Wiltshire Square
- 2f Wootton Bassett (GB) x Sausedge (AUS) (Shamus Award (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: S Foley 56
Wootton Bassett
4
2.5
Miss Celine
- 2f Magnus (AUS) x Charm's Honour (AUS) (Strada (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: B Shinn 56
5
3.3
Odessa
- 2f Zoustar (AUS) x Aryaaf (AUS) (Epaulette (AUS))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: L Currie 56
6
4
Gin Spirit
- 2f Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Premeditated (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: Jamie Melham 56
7
4.8
Expulsion
- 2f Bivouac (AUS) x Banish (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: M Zahra 56
8
5.3
Supergrace
- 2f Capitalist (AUS) x Nurse Kitchen (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: L & T Corstens & W Larkin Rdr: W Egan 56
9
6
Exit
- 2f Bivouac (AUS) x Secretly Discreet (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 56
10
14
La Reine
- 2f King's Legacy (AUS) x Marechal (NZ) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: S P Nichols Rdr: Zac Spain 56
More Reading...
Almanzor Stayer wins G3 Tattersalls Cup
It's been a long time since the  2022 Victoria Derby and some may have wondered whether the winner Manzoice was ever going to win again!
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.
Private Eye’s Half-Brother King’s Secret Wins Again
Although he may never reach the heights of his older half-brother Private Eye, a Group 1 winner and earner of more than $12m to date, connections of King’s Secret (Shalaa) are sure to have plenty of their own fun with the 3yo gelding winning at Rosehill on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Corumbene Stud Homebred Tashi Wins G1 Tatts Tiara
From the last crop of foals sired by Widden Stud’s much missed Golden Slipper winning sire Sebring, five year-old mare Tashi may also be his final Group I winner as she produced a career best performance at Eagle Farm on Saturday to win the $700,000 Group I Tatts Tiara (1400m).
Super Seth 3YO Salutes for Baker
A tenacious front-running performance in Saturday’s A$160,000 Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill added a first city victory to Puntin’s burgeoning record.
Miss Joelene Achieves Millionaire Status
This time last year, Miss Joelene was highlighting herself as one to watch for the future, having placed in the Group 2 The Roses and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, and after a few runs behind the outstanding Antino (Redwood) this time in, a class drop on Saturday saw her record victory in the $200,000 Listed BRC Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2100m) at Eagle Farm.
Coolmore Sired Fillies Quinella Listed Merson Cooper
The Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday featured colts and fillies with the girls coming out on top as Rosemont Stud’s homebred Starspangledbanner filly Palm Angel was too nippy for the late closing Wootton Bassett (GB) filly Wiltshire Square.
Aussie 2YO SW for Tivaci
New Zealand-bred colt Matahga stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.