From
Celia Roche.
February 2014.
Someone, somewhere, had definitely had a premonition before the racecourse debut of the elegantly named Nostradamus at Flemington on January 18, the juvenile having been the subject of some sizeable bets by racing betting fans for the valuable Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes next month before setting foot on the raceday turf for the first time.
The beautifully bred son of star sire, Medaglia D'Oro is trained by John Hawkes at Flemington and is certainly bred to do the job, being a half-brother to the 2010 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Star Witness.
Word that Nostradamus might be an above average colt reached Flemington ahead of his racecourse bow and he was duly sent off at just $1.45 in the racing live betting markets. He never gave his supporters any real worries as he ran out a pleasing winner from Jarklin in the 1100 metre, seven-runner contest.
It transpired that hours before he ran at Flemington a number of betting firms reported serious money from shrewd sources for Nostradamus to win the Blue Diamond Stakes, suggesting that those in the know had already judged he would make a winning debut and wanted to be on before the secret was out.
Four-figure bets wagered at up to $21 were noted as bookies ran for cover. Nostradamus is now a general $8 chance.
Punters will get another chance to see just what Nostradamus is made of, with co-trainer Wayne Hawkes suggesting that he intends to run his budding star in the Blue Diamond Prelude on February 8.
Victory there would surely see the colt's odds slashed even further and could force him down to favouritism, a position currently held by Peter Snowden's exciting prospect Earthquake, owned by Sheikh Mohammed, a very impressive winner on his racing bow at Randwick in November.
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