Platinum Diamond returns with a vengeance at Otaki

Noted wet track performer Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) threw off that tag in spectacular fashion as she got in the deciding stride to capture one of the feature races at Otaki, the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m).

The Lisa Latta-prepared daughter of Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain had looked an exceptional talent as a late two-year-old/early three-year-old with four consecutive victories on heavy tracks including the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m), Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) and the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1340m), becoming the first horse to achieve that stakes race treble.

A gritty runner-up finish at Tauranga in the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) was another highlight of her three-year-old campaign however she mixed her efforts in four subsequent starts before being sent for a spell after finishing near last in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) back in August.

She resumed earlier this month when making good late ground in an open 1200m contest and stripped fitter for her second-up assignment on Saturday albeit on a Good 3 rated surface that had dried out significantly during the day.

Settled nicely in midfield by rider Bruno Queiroz, Platinum Diamond angled into the clear at the 300m and set out after pacemaker Cosentino (NZ) (El Roca) who was fighting out the finish with eventual runner-up Uncle Arch (NZ) (Tivaci) and the second of three Latta runners in Amazing Son (NZ) (Belardo).

Just as it looked like Uncle Arch would snatch victory, Platinum Diamond made a desperate lunge and took the decision by a nose with similar margins between Uncle Arch, Cosentino and Amazing Son in fourth.

Latta was on hand at Otaki and was convinced she had only run second with the mare.

“I wasn’t on the finish line at all and from where I was watching I was pretty convinced we had just missed,” Latta said.

“We hadn’t had any luck all day and I figured that might be just the way things would go, so it was very nice to hear her get the judge’s call.

“It is a bit of a relief to get her back to her best and I think the key is just to keep as much freshness in her legs that we can.

“She went a good race first up, so I thought she wasn’t too far away, so it’s nice to see her perform like that.

“I don’t have any real plans at this stage, but there are some nice fillies and mares’ races around over the next few months so we can get her home and have a look to see what might suit.”

Bred by Beaufort Downs, Platinum Diamond was offered in their Book 2 draft at Karaka 2024, where Latta secured her for $90,000. She has now had 15 starts for five wins and $212,075 in stakes for her connections that include Neville McAlister and Kevin Dixon, the co-owners of Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) who was to take his place in the A$10miilion Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick later in the day.