Blue Diamond hopes emerge with Hanseatic at Caulfield

The prospect of a second successive Godolphin success in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes took solid shape when Hanseatic overcame a variety of obstacles to win the male division of Saturday’s Listed Blue Diamond Previews at Caulfield.

Hanseatic had announced himself as a two-year-old of superior ability on debut last November when he won the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes at Sandown.

And he more-than-confirmed that status at Caulfield at his only start since.

The son of Street Boss put on a roguish display in the mounting yard and was then obliged to travel four and five-wide for much of the race.

But jockey Luke Currie needed only to release his hold on the colt entering the Caulfield straight for Hanseatic to put the result beyond doubt.

Hanseatic displayed an electric turn of foot over the final 100m, clearing out to a 2-1/2 length win over Glenfiddich with Fixated in third place.

"That's what you want to see," said trainer Anthony Freedman, who also prepared the Godolphin filly Lyre to win last season’s Blue Diamond.

"Obviously going forward to bigger races you want to see them put up a performance like that and put themselves ahead of the others in an emphatic way.

"He'll improve off today. He was a bit fresh and I'll probably run him again in two weeks because of that."

"I think this colt might need the racing and getting used to the routine of race day."

"He was a bit hot at Sandown and he was a bit hot again today."

Hanseatic’s win followed that on Friday night of another Street Boss juvenile, Valaquenta, who carried the Godolphin royal blue to a stylish debut win at Moonee Valley.

Both colts are now in the top bracket of contenders for the first juvenile G1 event of the Australian season, the Blue Diamond Stakes, at Caulfield on 22 February.