Last start G2 Perth Cup (2400m) runner-up Diamond Scene caught punters and jockey Clint Johnston-Porter off guard with an on-pace victory in the G3 Eurythmic Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.
A market drifter at $15 first-up since New Year’s Day, Diamond Scene made the most of an even tempo to sit outside the leader Comfort Me (Playing God) and then kept short-priced favourite Watch Me Rock (Awesome Rock) in a pocket before accelerating to a winning break in the straight.
“He’s a war-horse who tries his heart out but he still surprised me today,” Johnston-Porter admitted at Ascot. “Once he jumped so well, I decided to roll forward and was hoping for good sectionals so I could chase down the leader.
“It was a big effort in this company and he’s good enough to win at the elite level this season.”
Diamond Scene (Photo / Western Racepix) is trained by Michael Grantham for owner-breeders Peters Investments and has firmed into $16 for the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) on November 22. His NZ-bred stablemate Cosmic Crusader (Maurice) is the reigning Railway favourite and Johnston-Porter will have to choose between both cerise and white colour-bearers.
Cosmic Crusader made it four-on-end in the $100,000 TABtouch Stakes (1650m) at Belmont last month and heads Railway betting at $4.50 from star mare Super Smink (Super One) at $8. “Cosmic Crusader is the eye-catcher at the moment but he hasn’t beaten these types of horses yet,” Johnston-Porter said after unsaddling Diamond Scene.
“If I had to go to war with one of them…it would be this bloke.”
Diamond Scene (6g So You Think – Jewelled by Zabeel) won the LR Luckygray Stakes (1800m) and LR ATA Stakes (2200m) in the lead-up to his half-length second to Hemlock Stone (Dalghar) in the 2025 Perth Cup. He’s a younger half-brother to LR Ascot 1000 Guineas (1800m) winner Adornment (Medaglia D’Oro) and is bred on the same So You Think – Zabeel cross as Midnight Blue who won the 2022 Perth Cup for Peters Investments.
The Eurythmic Stakes completed an Ascot double for Bob and Sandra Peters, Grantham and Johnston-Porter following the win of First Beach in the National Thoroughbred Week Hcp (1200m) earlier on Saturday. First Beach (Nicconi) was a $340,000 buy from Maluka Thoroughbreds when targeted by Belmont Bloodstock agent Damon Gabbedy at the 2022 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
