2020 Blue Diamond Entries – you’ve got to be in it to win it!

The half-sister by Exceed and Excel to champion racehorse Winx and the sale-toppers from Inglis Easter and Magic Millions are among a record 1767 rising two year-olds which have been nominated for the $1,5 million Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes to be run at Caulfield next February.

The two most expensive colts from the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Snitzel from Ichihara for $2.8million and Fastnet Rock from Legally Bay for $2.3million are both entered as well as the $1.7 million Magic Millions sale-topper, an I Am Invincible colt from Oakleigh Girl.

Yarraman Park's super sire I Am Invincible is not surprisingly the sire with the most entries, his 98 putting him ahead of Victoria's champion sire Written Tycoon on 88 followed by Snitzel (73), Zoustar (64), Fastnet Rock (55) Sebring (54) and Exceed and Excel (47), whose entries include Winx's half-sister Covent Garden.

Deep Field leads the soon to be second season sires with 42 entries followed by Brazen Beau on 38, while the first season sires are headed by Golden Slipper winner Vancouver with 56 ahead of Blue Diamond winner Pride of Dubai on 39.

Adding some serious international interest are eight entries for Frankel and six for Deep Impact including a colt from Golden Slipper winner Miss Finland called Bucharest.

On the score of trainers, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace top the list of Group I Blue Diamond nominators for the first time, the duo entering 132 yearlings in their pursuit of a maiden Blue Diamond Stakes title.

Other strong nomination numbers come from the Lindsay Park team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, who entered 126 yearlings, with Peter and Paul Snowden third with 101 entries.

Godolphin are coming off the back of an amazingly successful two year-old season having won the Group I Golden Slipper (Kiamichi), ATC Sires Produce (Microphone), Blue Diamond (Lyre) and Magic Millions 2YO Classic (Exhilarates). They have 85 entries including colt Namazu and filly Jadida, both of whom are by Medaglia D'Oro (USA) and will look to emulate the deeds of their Blue Diamond-winning mothers, Earthquake and Miracles Of Life.

Their champion sire Lonhro, who won the race this year for them with Lyre has 22 entries including a colt from Golden Slipper winner Forensics called Vucetich.

Click here to see the full list of Blue Diamond nominations.