Raceday LIVE – Diamond Days
Related horse(s):
Diamond DaysToday is a landmark occasion for the Coral Racing Club as Diamond Days will become our 100th runner, which arrives just around the corner from our second year anniversary.
Read our Raceday LIVE Preview below and join us ahead of the race for all the build-up and live updates from the track with the team and Cast No Shadow's lucky owners for the day across our social channels on X (@coral) and Instagram (@coralofficial).
Raceday LIVE Preview
Diamond Days became the Club's latest addition to join our National Hunt team earlier this year after being purchased by Joe, Peter and Ross Doyle for €35,000 at the 2023 Tattersalls Ireland Derby sale. His sire is Diamond Boy, who so far has produced Grade One winners Impaire Et Passe (Willie Mullins) and L'Homme Presse (Venetia Williams), and since joining the team at Venn Farm, trainer Joe Tizzard has been impressed with what he's shown so far.
WATCH: Diamond Days joins the Coral Racing Club
Diamond Days initially joined the Club unnamed, so as we always do in that case, we ran a 'Name Your Horse' competition to our members to give them the chance to name him and win an Ultimate Owner for the Day experience on his debut.
We're delighted that the two members who both submitted the name 'Diamond Days' will be at Wincanton this afternoon to watch him in his first competitive start.
Check out the below video to find out what Joe's early thoughts were of our four-year-old soon after he'd joined the Tizzard team.
In the build-up to today's debut race, Joe Tizzard recently sent his team to Salisbury for an away day workout, and on Friday he again put them through their paces as the Coral Racing Club team headed to Joe's yard to find out the very latest on our four-year-old gelding.
WATCH: A view from the gallops on Friday morning
The plan is very much for Diamond Days to go hurdling this season, but Joe believes a couple of races in bumpers will give our four-year-old son of Diamond Boy the experience he needs before going over obstacles. Interestingly, he is a half-brother to Micronormous, who is trained by David Pipe, and he won on debut in a National Hunt Flat Race around about this time in 2022.
Check out the video below with Joe to find out what he had to say on Diamond Days ahead of this afternoon's contest.
WATCH: "I think the track will suit him and it's a lovely place to start"
Harry Kimber has been riding out Diamond Days in a lot of his recent work at home, and the 24-year-old conditional jockey will be the one doing the steering this afternoon. Kimber has gained vast experience riding for both Joe and Colin Tizzard over the years, and more importantly he's spent plenty of time at Wincanton which is a big plus.
Wincanton is a track that has proved a happy hunting ground for the Club in recent times, with the late West End Boy becoming our first Jumps winner there at this same meeting last year when bounding clear on handicap debut over hurdles and going on to win by 10 lengths.
It's a small field of just eight runners for today's finale at Wincanton, with each of them making their first competitive start. There's the noticeable entry for owners Simon Munir & Isaac Souede with €45,000 purchase Katana for the Nicky Henderson team, and Paul Nicholls gives a debut to Takeonedayatatime who cost £76,000.
The weather has been dry over the past few days, so the ground should be near enough perfect condition for Wincanton's opening raceday of the season.
Chris Dixon, Racing TV Analyst, shares an exclusive preview of this afternoon's 16:25 at Wincanton
There’s not a huge amount to go on in this newcomers bumper but Diamond Days does have a pedigree to say he could be competitive in this sphere. A half-brother to Micronormous who made a winning rules debut in a bumper, his dam is also related to a horse who won in a bumper so it will be interesting too see how he gets on in what looks like a potentially decent bumper.
Stablemate Tennessee Tango also has encouragement for this type of test in her bloodlines while Katana represents powerful connections so has to be respected. The one who makes most appeal on paper, however, is Takeonedayatatime, who represents Paul Nicholls, the trainer in the race boasting the best strike rate with his racecourse debutants in recent times. By Time Test out of a Sea The Stars mare who won a bumper prior to going on to gain a mark of 94 on the Flat in a short career, she’s bred to have more pace than a lot of these and that could prove vital on decent ground at a fast track.
Trainer and Jockey Statistics
Joe Tizzard has sent out three winners from his last 28 runners (11%). Overall his record at Wincanton includes 12 winners and a further 39 placed efforts from a total of 118 runners, but he is yet to get off the mark from six efforts in bumper races at the track.
Harry Kimber got off the mark for the season with a winner on his last ride for trainer Robert Walford at Fontwell just four days ago, so his spirits should be flying high going into today's contest. To date he's had 72 rides at Wincanton, resulting in eight winners with a further nine that have finished either 2nd or 3rd.
Diamond Days' Owners for the Day
It's an extra special day at Wincanton today as already mentioned, the two members who named Diamond Days should be in attendance this afternoon for his debut. On top of that, as winners of the recent Owner for the Day competition, an additional 8 lucky Coral Racing Club members have been given the chance to enjoy an exclusive owners experience.
Each winner, along with a guest of their choosing, will receive free entry to Wincanton Racecourse, including exclusive access to Owners & Trainers areas. They'll have the opportunity to meet Diamond Days and the Joe Tizzard team, plus get to head into the parade ring before the race begins to be amongst all the other owners, trainers and jockeys. And last but by no means least, each winner will get to take home an equal 10% split of any prize money won by Diamond Days.
Prize Money
Today's Class 5 contest is worth £4,000 in total, with the winner set to scoop £2,178 for their lucky owners.
2nd: £1,003 | 3rd: £501 | 4th: £251
16:25 WINCANTON – LATEST ODDS
We hope you enjoyed reading today's Raceday LIVE Preview. Don't forget to tune in just before 16:25 to watch Diamond Days' debut run for the Club live on the Coral Sports app.
Click here to read Joe Tizzard's weekend blog as he provides an exclusive preview on his runners at Aintree & Wincanton, including one he thinks "should take some beating".