Chasing Victory in the Furphy Robert Sangster Stakes

Chris Bieg and Teagan Voorham are set to chase Group 1 win at Morphettville during in the Fruphy Robert Sangster Stakes.

Morphettville trainer Chris Bieg didn’t hesitate to stick with newly graduated, senior jockey Teagan Voorham in Saturday’s Furphy Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m), with the duo set to chase the first Group 1 win of their respective careers with talented mare ‘Diamonds’.

The Stakes-winning sprinter is one of only two locally-trained horses in the coveted race, along with Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas’ ‘Another Award’, who ran fourth behind Snapdancer in last year’s Robert Sangster Stakes.

While bookmakers have marked Diamonds as one of the outsiders of the race, Bieg is optimistic about her chances of running a cheeky race on the big stage.

And he believes Voorham (who ended a successful apprenticeship with a double on Australasian Oaks day and now rides as a senior jockey without a claim) can be one of the key’s to the mare’s chances.

Voorham was aboard Diamonds in both of her Stakes wins at Morphettville in 2022 – the Listed City of Marion Stakes (1200m) and the Listed Christmas Handicap (1200m) – and teamed up with the five-year-old in an exhibition gallop between races last Saturday.

“She’s as good as I can have her going into Saturday, albeit it’s a Group 1 and it’s a big task first-up,” Bieg said.

“I couldn’t have been happier with her gallop on Saturday – Free of Debt led and Diamonds sat off him and she probably got to his outside a little bit earlier than what I wanted but she was just traveling so well so Teagan just let her slide.

“This will be Teagan’s first Saturday as a senior jockey so it’s exciting for her to have this opportunity in a Group 1.

“She didn’t do a lot wrong on her last preparation – Teagan won two Listed races on her and then we took her up to Queensland but nothing went right.”

The field for the Furphy Robert Sangster Stakes is one of the strongest in the race’s history, with five individual Group 1 winners set to take their place, including Bella Nipotina, Roch ‘N’ Horse and Espiona.

Bieg said he and Voorham will formulate a plan to ride Diamonds in a way that plays into her strengths, one of which is a brilliant turn of foot when the mare relaxes in the early and middle part of her races.

“We’ve seen her racing pattern: to drop out the back which allows her to relax and switch off,” he said.

“She certainly can storm over the top of them.

“Whether she’s good enough to do it in a Group 1 first-up over 1200m remains to be seen but I can’t wait to find out on Saturday.

“It’s exciting to see this quality of mare come to Adelaide for the race, it’s great.”

Bieg will also saddle up Free of Debt in the Group 3 D.C. Mackay Stakes (1200m) and Harleen in the Listed Without Fear Stakes (1050m) on Saturday.

Success will continue a strong start to the Autumn Racing Carnival and a career-best season for Bieg, who has so far trained 23 winners since August.

He said last Saturday’s win at Morphettville with Dash It was particularly satisfying.

“Dashitude is the dam Dash It and she (Dashitude) was the first the first horse I ever bought from the Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale back in 2011.

“I paid $5000 for her and she went on to be a Stakes winner – she won the Dequetteville Stakes and raced right through until she was eight.

“I bought Dash It off the farm as a weanling so it’s a huge thrill to win a city race with her.

“It’s been a really good season and I’ve been fortunate to have some great support – we’ve got good numbers in work at the moment and we’ve already trained the most winners I’ve had in a season and that’s before the autumn carnival.

“I’ve got a great team behind me.”