UPDATE: Bodyguard has been scratched from the 2024 Blue Diamond field after failing his vet check. Click here for the full story.

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The official Blue Diamond Stakes 2024 final field has been confirmed with a capacity line-up of juveniles featuring the two Prelude winners.

The Group 1 $2 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) takes centre stage at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday as one of three elite level Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival features on the bumper Blue Diamond Day card.

The official Blue Diamond Stakes barrier draw has also been locked in with the early favourites all drawing well.

For Peter & Paul Snowden their charge is led by undefeated I Am Invincible colt Bodyguard to be ridden by Mark Zahra from barrier six.

Co-trainer Peter Snowden has prepared three previous Blue Diamond Stakes champions with Sepoy (2011), Earthquake (2014), and Pride Of Dubai (2015).

He is after his first in nearly a decade now in partnership with his son Paul and Bodyguard is one of the early favourites in Blue Diamond Stakes betting after his half-length Prelude victory on February 10.

Written By (2018) was the last to do the Blue Diamond Prelude – Blue Diamond Stakes double for the boys.

Along with Bodyguard the Snowdens have also accepted for their Preview winner High Octane drawn wider out in gate 10 coming off a fifth to his stablemate in the Group 2 Prelude and well-bred Pierata colt Fearless (drawn wide out in gate 16) who comes via a Sydney lead-up when second at Rosehill in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at the start of the month.

For the fillies, one of the best of the six confirmed starters taking on the boys is the in-form Hayasugi for Clinton McDonald in gate 11.

She lines-up for her fourth career start on Saturday and chases her third win on the trot this time in after completing the Preview – Prelude double for fillies at her latest two.

The talented young daughter of Royal Meeting has Jamie Kah retaining the ride as she looks to be just the second filly in history to do the Blue Diamond series treble ing Midnight Fever (1987).

For Tony & Calvin McEvoy their Golden Gift and Inglis Millennium runner-up Rue De Royale heads south looking a genuine shot with Chad Schofield to ride despite a wide barrier 17 (into 15 with emergencies out) draw.

He is ed in the Blue Diamond Stakes field by stablemate Dublin Down who resumes from an ideal barrier three draw in the Group 1 having last been seen winning Flemington’s Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) back on Melbourne Cup Day.

Trapeze Artist colt Spywire is another highly-rated contender with the Ciaron Maher-trained up-and-comer coming off a third to Storm Boy at the Gold Coast’s $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) back in mid-January.

He has work to do however having drawn the far outside barrier in the 16-starter field.

Along with Bodyguard the other undefeated Blue Diamond acceptors this year are the Matt Laurie-trained Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes winner Coleman (barrier seven) who leads the latest markets at $4.20 through Ladbrokes.com.au and Jason Warren’s Exceedance filly Flyer (gate 13).

Other notable hopes include the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Group 3 Widden Stakes winning Written Tycoon filly Lady Of Camelot who has firmed notably after drawing barrier four, the narrow Fillies Prelude runner-up Kuroyanagi after revenge near the inside in gate two, and Godolphin’s runner Traffic Warden who Craig Williams rides from out in gate 14..

Updated Blue Diamond odds on the final field are available from Ladbrokes.com.au by clicking here.

2024 Blue Diamond Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw