Nayeli Zooms into Blue Diamond Contention

Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse won a Golden Slipper with a Corumbene Stud bred son of More Than Ready (USA) in Sebring and she may well win a Blue Diamond with a Corumbene Stud bred filly by the same sire in Nayeli.

Dispatched to Melbourne following an impressive debut win at Randwick on January 8, Nayeli took her place against the colts and geldings in the Group III MRC Chairman's Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday and emerged triumphant.

Ridden up on the pace by Vlad Duric, she stalked the leader Bugatty throughout, before surging past that colt to win the 1100 metre dash by two and a quarter lengths.

A $260,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Gai Waterhouse/James Harron Bloodstock from the Corumbene Stud draft, Nayeli runs in the colours made famous by Pierro and is owned by Greg and Donna Kolivos.

"Gai brought her down here three weeks ago and she's handled Caulfield really well which can bring so many of them undone," said Greg Kolivos.

Also in Melbourne with a Blue Diamond goal is another Kolivos owned and Waterhouse trained contender in Wanted colt Francesco.

Placed on debut at Rosehill just before Christmas, Francesco will test his mettle next week in the Group II MRC Blue Diamond Prelude.

"You've got to be here and in it to win it and we are," Kolivos added.

Already a winner of $114,525 in prizemoney, Nayeli is a half-sister to stakes-placed Brightest and is the fourth winner from four foals to race from stakes-placed Danehill mare Wasimah, a daughter of Group I winner Kapchat.

A successful producer as a well as racemare, Kapchat has left Group III winner Kaphero and stakes-winner Princesa, the dam of Group II winner Star of Giselle and this season's stakes-placed two and three year-olds Ducal Castle and Solicit, so it's a very progressive family on an upswing.

Nayeli's three year-old full sister Watabout ran third at Rosehill earlier in the day and she too may be capable of earning Black Type in the future.

Wasimah has not had a foal since Nayeli, but was covered last spring by her sire More Than Ready.

Nayeli is the 123^rd stakes-winner for Vinery Stud's champion sire More Than Ready and is his 12^th stakes-winner from a daughter of Danehill, four of those stakes-winners being the Group I winners Benicio, Perfectly Ready More Than Sacred and Dreamaway.