O'Brien backs Closer to free despite inexperience for blue diamond stakes
Danny O'Brien refuses to let Closer To Free's shortage of race exposure hinder expectations for the colt in Victoria's leading juvenile feature at Caulfield.
The colt secured entry to Saturday's Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield via a winning performance in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) on February 7.
O'Brien bought the colt shortly after his Caulfield Heath trial success nine days before, when trained by Adrian Corboy.
O'Brien observes ongoing development in Closer To Free since his first win and holds no fears for the colt's upcoming second start on Saturday.
Devil Night, last season's Blue Diamond champion, triumphed on his second run after a second-place finish in the Prelude two weeks earlier.
"The narrative around his trial was that he was wound up, but Adrian told me he was three or four weeks behind with him because he got cast in his box over Christmas and he missed a couple of weeks work," O'Brien said.
"When he came to the trials here, he said there was a lot of improvement in the horse and when I saw him in the yard before the Prelude I thought 'he's right, you might need another gallop', but he came out of it really well and will be finding a couple of lengths on Saturday on top of what he's already shown."
The trainer remains unworried about Closer To Free heading into Saturday with scant racing history.
"The profile of these two-year-old races has changed over the last 15 or 20 years," O'Brien said.
"The two-year-olds are not having as many starts as they used to before Christmas and ultimately, they get one or two post-Christmas before running in the Blue Diamond and even the Golden Slipper.
"I don't think that is a disadvantage. I know when Star Witness won it, it was only his third race start, one start in December, one start in January, and then into to the Diamond."
O'Brien attributes evolving breeding trends in Australia to reduced pressure for early debuts.
"When I first started in racing, there probably wasn't the number of shuttle stallions standing," O'Brien said.
"It was more the colonials, they were a bit hardier, a bit more get up get going early, whereas nearly every stallion in Australia now has some form of shuttle blood.
"There has been a gradual shift, so I don't think there is any disadvantage and he has been very well educated and we can thank Adrian for that.
"He's got a very natural brain and there will be no horse that will handle the parade better than him.
"He's so relaxed."
Head to the online bookmakers to find the best betting markets for the race in the Blue Diamond Stakes.
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