Lisa Latta’s Platinum Diamond favoured for Ōtaki’s Castletown Stakes

Platinum Diamond will contest Friday's Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Ōtaki. Photo / Race Images Palmerston North, Peter Rubery

Lisa Latta will hold a strong hand in Friday’s two-year-old feature at Ōtaki, with Platinum Diamond tipped as her top seed.

The Awapuni trainer will have able back-up in the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) with Brutiful Lass and Platinum Pantheon also in contention.

Platinum Diamond has earned top billing from the stable after the highly encouraging start the daughter of Hello Youmzain has made to her career.

The filly made late ground to run fourth at her Hāwera debut in early May and then produced an irresistible finish from the back of the field at Wanganui to defeat Country Salon, again a race rival.

“I’d have to go with the last-start winner, she was really good and ran home well and has gone in the right direction since,” Latta said.

She is unsure of Platinum Diamond’s future after the Castletown and whether she would be in the running for the upcoming Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes (1200m).

“We’ll just get through this run first and then make up our minds,” Latta said.

“It will be her third start and she’ll need a break at some stage, she was a late foal and she looks a nice three-year-old prospect.”

Brutiful Lass finished runner-up on debut at Tauherenikau earlier this year and returned from a break to run third at Hāwera, before the Brutal filly ran out of luck behind Platinum Diamond.

“I’m really happy with her and she didn’t have all favours at Wanganui where a gap got quite tight on her,” Latta said.

“She certainly isn’t the worst for a maidener as it doesn’t look an overly strong field.”

The third member of the trio is Hanseatic’s son Platinum Pantheon, who made two appearances during the summer for a first-up fourth at Tauherenikau and then unplaced at Wanganui.

“He had a jump-out at Levin and went really well, he ran second and just got beaten,” Latta said. “He looks well and it’s just whether he handles the track, being an Australian-bred horse.”

Latta has several other runners on Friday and also liked the chances of Benefactor in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1600m) and Good Craic in the Vets on Riverbank Maiden (1200m).

“Benefactor was good at Wanganui last Saturday and will be backing up and Good Craic has been knocking on the door,” she said.

Contributer mare Benefactor was a last-start third in open handicap company, while Per Incanto four-year-old Good Craic has posted four runner-up finishes from her last five outings.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk