Godolphin pair ready to sparkle in Blue Diamond

The Godolphin two-year-olds Plague Stone and Encryption are fit and ready to make winning breakthroughs in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, 24 February.

The James Cummings-trained pair come into the race with five placings between them and considerable improvement in store as they attempt to give their founder His Highness Sheikh Mohammed a third Blue Diamond victory.

Thanks to his better barrier draw, Plague Stone is generally given the best chance of the two, but Cummings makes strong arguments for both.

“Plague Stone is yet to win but he’s put the writing on the wall as a great Blue Diamond chance,” he said.

“Things didn’t go his way last start but he still ran a great race to finish second and he’s come through what was an excellent effort in great style.

“There’s been good improvement in him from what is a traditionally strong lead-up race and he looks to be in terrific condition.”

Encryption has been placed at all three of his starts and made his autumn debut with a strong second at Flemington on Saturday, 3 February.

“He’s drawn around horses who can take him into the race, he’s been crying out for 1,200 metres and he’s gone ahead by many lengths in the three weeks since his last run, Cummings said.

“They are two exciting colts with plenty of upside.”

Godolphin Founder Sheikh Mohammed won the Blue Diamond with Earthquake in 2014 and Sepoy in 2011, the latter going on to win the world's richest two-year-old race, the G1 Golden Slipper and then became the world’s highest-ranked three-year-old sprinter.

Among the opposition faced by the Godolphin colts are five unbeaten youngsters, including Long Leaf who has won each of his three starts and the filly Enbihaar who is two-from-two.