Party For Two’s Blue Diamond fairytale

Connections of the diminutive Queensland filly Party For Two are daring to dream, with the two-year-old set to board a flight to Melbourne on Wednesday night to kick off a Group 1 Blue Diamond campaign.

Twice entered at the sale and trained by the relatively unknown Damien Batters, the mare is looking for the fairytale when she goes to the Blue Diamond Prelude next Saturday.

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After winning by 7.5 lengths at the Sunshine Coast and 2.5 lengths at Doomben, Telemon Stud boss Dan Fletcher believes his mare can compete against some of the best in the country in Victoria.

“We won’t be taking out any fairy tales while she’s in her box at home,” said Fletcher.

“After she won her girlfriend through panels, there was a discussion about what to do next.

“When she won at Doomben it was a case of be careful what you wish for because then I had to work out if we wanted to go, it took two days to look at facts and figures and talk to ratings guys, there was some anxiety about it all.”

While he always had a high opinion of the Sidestep filly, Fletcher said provincial racing seemed a more realistic target when they tried to sell her.

“We took her to the March Magic Millions sale and we entered her there, then we went to Rockhampton,” he said.

Trainer Damien Batters takes Party For Two to Melbourne for the Blue Diamond. Photo: Grant Peters—Court Photography.

“While she was passed there, she was taken there to qualify her for the sale race more than anything, at that time we didn’t really expect her to sell.

“We thought more of the foal than the market actually did.

“We worked out if we should go to limited sales races, or if she’s better than that.

“I saw her as a filly that could be a sharp two-year-old at that provincial level and we weren’t really aiming too much higher than that, but she looks to be a little bit better than that.”

After running the likes of multiple Group 1 winner Russian Camelot, Fletcher said it was a story of perseverance for Batters when it came to training the colt.

“I actually had another trainer in mind for her and I couldn’t get in with them,” laughed Fletcher.

“(Batters) kept annoying us enough, that was the power of the plague.

“I’ve never met him but that was the thing, he was on the hunt and we like to put them with trainers who you know will put everything into it.”

Party For Two, who will be ridden in Melbourne by former Victorian Nikita Beriman, is given a $34 chance with TAB in the Group 1 Blue Diamond.