Diamond Hill

Diamond Hill was good again in winning the Listed Oyster Stakes. Held up early on by Colin Keane, she made nice ground around the outside as they raced around the home turn. Willie Mullins’ mare was five wide around the bend, but she continued to go forward, and she stayed on strongly up the hill to get up and beat Camphor by a neck.

Camphor is a talented filly, a progressive three-year-old who had run well in a big handicap over this course and distance at the summer festival, and who got a nice split among horses after a ground-saving run around the home turn. Diamond Hill did well to get the better of Jessica Harrington’s filly, and the pair of them moved on nicely from early leader Warnaq.

This was just Diamond Hill’s third run on the flat, and it was her third win. The Mee family’s mare has now won two of those races at Galway, where she also won her maiden hurdle at the summer festival. She obviously likes the place, but she is versatile too, she stayed on well to win a qualified riders’ handicap at Bellewstown in July, and she won her bumper at Ballinrobe a couple of years ago.

The handicapper raised her by 5lb to a mark of 99, but that is a mark that should still be within range. She has raced just three times on the flat. She will also be of interest if and when she goes back over hurdles.

Galway, 17^th September 2019