Blue Diamond sires: 'Natural speed is inherited - it’s not something you can train or teach; it’s passed on'

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

In 2025, the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes features 16 talented juveniles, including five standout colts looking to join an illustrious list of past winners who have gone on to secure spots on stallion rosters across Australia.

The colts aiming for success in Saturday's Group 1 juvenile feature include the $1.4 million yearling purchase Devil Night (Extreme Choice), the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Olatunde (Farnan), Darley Stud’s homebred Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}), the promising Extractor (Spirit Of Boom), and the Yu Long Investments part-owned Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon).

Two geldings and nine fillies make up the full field of 16 runners.

Redoute’s Choice prominent

Since 1999, 12 Blue Diamond winners have retired to stud and gone on to sire progeny that have raced—excluding Artorius, Daumier, and Little Brose, who have either just begun their stallion careers or are about to.

Collectively, these stallions have sired an incredible 56 Group 1 winners and 332 stakes winners. Even factoring in the dominance of champion sire Redoute’s Choice who alone accounts for 40 Group 1 winners and 182 stakes winners—these figures highlight the significance of the Blue Diamond Stakes as a proven stallion-making race.

Notably, Redoute’s Choice features prominently in the pedigrees of several Blue Diamond-winning colts. He sired Undoubtedly and Nadeem, while Extreme Choice is his grandson via Not A Single Doubt, and Artorius is out of a Redoute’s Choice mare.

Overall the stud records of the 12 Blue Diamond winners who have retired since 1999 have been varied. They are led by champion sire Redoute’s Choice, with proven Group 1 sires such as Bel Esprit, Pride of Dubai, and Extreme Choice, along with the promising young sire Written By. Colts have won four of the past five editions of the race, leaving future opportunities for emerging stallions like Tagaloa, Daumier, Artorius, and Little Brose.

While some stallions may have underperformed relative to their initial book sizes and breeder expectations, the reality is that most sires do not reach champion status. However, the Blue Diamond Stakes continues to produce high-quality stallions at a success rate higher than the overall population, firmly establishing its reputation as a stallion-making race.

Table: Past 15 Blue Diamond colt winners and their sire records

Newgate Farm’s love of Blue Diamond winners

“The Blue Diamond is an early 2-year-old Group 1 race that requires a horse to be sound of body and mind and naturally forward,” Newgate Farm’s Bruce Slade said.

“You can’t make a horse be ready this early, it’s naturally just there, and I think that comes down to genetic makeup. Natural speed is inherited—it’s not something you can train or teach; it’s passed on.”

“The Slipper and Blue Diamond are the premier 2-year-old Group 1 sprints in Australia, and Blue Diamond form is always very strong Slipper form.”

“You only have to look through the record of these Group 1 2-year-old sprinters, and you’ll see the significant impact they have had on the Australian breeding industry especially over the last 20 years.”

Newgate Farm stands Extreme Choice and Artorius, both past winners of the feature race, and Slade discussed their impact.

When describing Extreme Choice and his exploits at stud, Slade said, “We don't need to say much more there.”

Extreme Choice is statistically an elite-level sire, having produced 81 winners from only 115 runners—an impressive 70 per cent winners-to-runners ratio. Among them are 13 stakes winners, equating to an exceptional 11.3 per cent stakes-winners-to-runners ratio. His ability to sire top-level performers is further emphasised by his four Group 1 winners across distances ranging from 1200 metres to 3200 metres: his winners at the elite level include She’s Extreme, Knight’s Choice, Stay Inside and Espiona.

Artorius, “a Blue Diamond winner, by a Blue Diamond placegetter, out of a mare by a Blue Diamond winner,” as Slade describes, has been extremely well-received at stud.

“He’s a horse with natural 2-year-old speed in every corner and quadrant of his pedigree. In his first two seasons at stud, he has received close to 300 mares. So he sets up very well.”

“I’ve been around the Hunter Valley this week looking at his first crop foals. He’s bay/brown dominant like Danehill, and they are all absolute peas in a pod; chips off the old block.”

“He’s producing stock that look early—big hips, great hind legs, good shapes. Not too big, not too small—just nice, medium-sized horses that look like they’ll go early. And if they inherit his brain, that will only help them.”

2-year-old speed market

Widden Stud’s Matt Comerford highlighted the significance of the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes in shaping the Australian breeding landscape.

“The Blue Diamond is the first Group 1 2-year-old race of the calendar, and naturally, the Australian market is focused on precocious 2-year-old speed,” Comerford said.

“Studs need to be able to provide what the market wants, and 2-year-old speed captures the mindset of the marketplace. Studs want successful 2-year-olds on their rosters, and breeders, syndicators, and trainers all want early horses.”

“The development of 2-year-old races is massive—the level of advertising, marketing, and the promotion of quick returns is significant. Naturally, studs want to stand stallions that have featured in races like the Magic Millions, Blue Diamond, or Golden Slipper.”

Widden Stud currently stands two Blue Diamond winners—Star Witness and Written By and potentially there could be another one if results go there way on Saturday.

Star Witness, now based at Widden Stud Victoria, has established himself as a reliable stallion and a proven source of speed. He has sired 25 stakes winners, headlined by the exceptional filly Global Glamour, a dual Group 1 winner.

Comerford explained: “He was one of the first Blue Diamond winners to train on and win the Coolmore at three—he always had a great profile.”

“He’s a great horse to breed speed on speed. He’s always been popular, and now his sire sons, Star Turn and Graff, are doing a good job at stud. He continues to punch above his weight.”

Written By is an exciting young stallion who has made a strong start at stud, producing five stakes winners who all show good speed and precocity.

“He’s exciting, they sell well, and he gets results on the track. He’s had good early horses such as The Novellist, Straight Charge, and The Playwright, who competes in the Blue Diamond this weekend.”

“Written By is a lovely horse to breed to, being Danehill-free. He continues to get strong support, and he himself was incredible winning the Blue Diamond.”

Widden Stud will be hoping another Blue Diamond winner emerges as a future stallion prospect, with the Michael Freedman-trained Extractor—a promising 2-year-old son of Spirit Of Boom. Widden Stud is a part-owner in the colt.

“He’s a nice colt, he’s in good form, and if he handles the Melbourne way, he’ll give them a bit of a shake-up.”