Streisand hits the right note with Blue Diamond romp
She may have been “underrated” throughout her brief career but trainer Clinton McDonald believes a star has been born after Streisand (Magnus) scored a dominant victory in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Caulfield.
The filly was the equal-most seasoned performer in the 16-horse field after four previous starts – the latest bringing her first success in a 0.75-length victory in the Blue Diamond Prelude (F) (Gr 2, 1100m) – but drifted late to start on the fourth line of betting at $11.
McDonald believes her experience showed in what was a powerful win in the $2 million feature for a filly bought at Inglis Premier by McDonald and Shane McGrath Bloodstock for $100,000, and whose half-sister will be offered at the same sale next week.
Jumping from gate ten for Ben Melham – who shrewdly chose her over two-from-two colt Big Sky (Bivouac) before he was scratched on Friday – Streisand sat three and four-wide without cover for the trip, travelling just off the leaders under a solid pace.
The filly joined the front-runners before the turn and while she had a fight to drive past Danny O’Brien’s leader Closer To Free (Street Boss), she eventually gained the upper hand over the $4.60 favourite at the 100-metre mark and pushed away to beat that colt by 0.75 lengths.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt Guest House (Home Affairs), who drifted slightly from favouritism to start $4.80 second elect, took third, while $5 shot Unit Five (Supido) disappointed in tenth.
McDonald has now won the Blue Diamond twice – in three editions – after the 2024 success of star-crossed filly Hayasugi (Royal Meeting), and has single-handedly worked to redress a gender imbalance, with his pair the only two female winners in seven years.
The Cranbourne trainer has also eclipsed his late father Ross, who won the Blue Diamond only once with Courtza (Pompeii Court) in 1989. That filly went on to win the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) weeks later, and McDonald will now have high hopes of emulating his father with Streisand.
Bookmakers wound her into an $11 shot for the world’s richest two-year-old race at Rosehill on March 21, level with another Melbourne running Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler) after his victory 50 minutes earlier in Rosehill’s Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m). Bjorn Baker’s Warwoven (Sword Of State) heads that market at $8.
Named after singer Barbra Streisand by her large group of party-hungry owners due to her dam being called Zouper Star (Zoustar), McDonald’s filly appeared to greatly appreciate the addition of blinkers earlier in the week.
But McDonald, who also took Hayasugi into her Blue Diamond at her fifth start, said it was race experience that had mostly carried the day.
Streisand ran narrow seconds in Flemington’s Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) and Inglis Banner (RL, 1000m) in the spring, then resumed with a fifth in the Blue Diamond Preview (Gr 3, 1000m) before winning the Prelude.
“What a filly,” said McDonald, who was celebrating his fifth Group 1.
“The blinkers were used, she floated, but you try things and it worked. To all my staff, my trackwork riders – fantastic.
“She did it the tough way and I thought she was really strong all the way to the line.
“I just thought she was the most seasoned horse in the race. The way she walked around the mounting yard it was like she’s done it her whole life and she raced that way.”
McDonald drew comparisons of toughness with Hayasugi, who started at $16 in her Blue Diamond. She also went on to the Golden Slipper, but after early trouble finished last. She died from complications following foot surgery after two more starts, which included a second in the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m).
“It was very similar to Hayasugi, very understated,” McDonald said. “She [Hayasugi] just won [the Prelude] by a head and everyone wrote her off in the Diamond.
“Same with this filly. She’s had four starts, got beaten a short half head in two of them, unlucky when she ran fifth and then she won her fourth start. So I thought, ‘Have I got this wrong? I think she’s going alright this filly’.
“She’s had a solid preparation, she’s just come here and she’s tough, and that’s what you need to win these races.
“It’s just terrific. Look out tonight.”
The celebrations looked set to be long and vigorous, judging by the wild mounting yard antics of Streisand’s owners as she hit the line.
“It’s the first time I’ve been punched in the nose in the mounting yard,” said McDonald, who was caught up in the mayhem.
“Big bunch of owners, it’s fantastic; it’s what racing needs. There’s kids, mums, dads. It’s always great when you win but I’ve been down at the horse stalls today and the vibe here in Melbourne racing is fantastic and it’s what we’ve got to create to keep racing going.”
Melham, celebrating his 23rd elite victory, said his loyalty to Streisand had been based on his opinion of her from the outset.
“It was a long-range plan with this filly,” he said. “She showed exceptional ability from day dot. She’s just had a faultless start to her career, two lovely runs before Christmas.
“She went out, had time to have a little break, she’s come back and she’d just furnished every day, developed and obviously that’s what you want to see from these two-year-olds. She’s a ready-made racehorse. Clinton and the team have done a great job.
“She’s a cranky little thing on the ground, but lovely to ride race day. Blinkers first time today, we always thought she’d improve with them on.
“She was a little bit sleepy going to the start, and I gave her a bit of a squeeze and then she picked up and I lit her up in the barriers a bit just to make sure she jumped because she went to sleep on me again.
“Obviously, a lot of the speed didn’t jump and we didn’t end up going that quick. I was just in a position where I could control the race and she did the rest.”
Bred by Victoria’s Eldon Park Stud and offered at last year’s Premier sale by Northmore Thoroughbreds, Streisand is the third foal and second and best runner of Zouper Star, a dual country winner in the southern state over 1200 metres and 1512 metres.
Zouper Star’s colt by Star Witness (Starcraft) – who McDonald’s associate Shane McGrath purchased for $20,000 as a weanling – will be offered as Lot 458 by Newhaven Park at the Premier draft next week. The mare has a Nicconi (Bianconi) colt at foot, and was covered by Street Boss (Street Cry) last spring.
Streisand is one of only 21 named foals from the final crop of Magnus (Flying Spur), who died in late September of that last 2023 season at Widden’s Victorian farm aged 21.
The stallion has 605 winners from 844 runners at 71.68 per cent and 34 stakes victors at four per cent. Streisand is his fifth elite winner.
She’s also among four stakes winners for Zoustar (Northern Meteor) as a broodmare sire, from 87 runners at 4.59 per cent.
The start of the 56th Blue Diamond contained substantial drama. Anticipating the start, several horses lunged at the gates and I Am Aria (I Am Invincible) burst through them, before being quickly restrained by Craig Williams.
O’Brien later said second starter Closer To Free had paid a price for the trouble at the gates, making his run all the more meritorious.
“There was a mishap at the barriers when the starter went to let them go and he flew the machine the first time and smashed his face into the front of the gates when they didn’t open,” O’Brien said.
“It didn’t help, as he didn’t jump as well the second time. He’s got out there and ran a great race, but the winner was too good.”