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Maturity edge for Godolphin colt in 2YO feature.
This might not be the best year to try and predict any natural advantage Zulfiqar, the oldest horse Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes, has over his contemporaries in the $2 million Group 1.
The son of Exceed And Excel is one of the tiny percentage of thoroughbred foals born before 'the horse's birthday' – August 1 in Australia – with the James Cummings -trained colt a July 31 foal.
The birthdates of the first seven Blue Diamond winners are hard to track, but the Australian Studbook has them since Manikato won in 1978 and Zulfiqar will become the earliest-born Blue Diamond winner in that time if successful.
But he is striving to do it 12 months after Daumier made a mockery of the theory that early foals have an advantage by becoming the youngest winner of Victoria's premier two-year-old race.
Born on November 26, 2019, Daumier won the Diamond on February 26 last year when just 823 days old.
The son of Epaulette is the only November foal to win the Blue Diamond in the past 45 years.
The next latest foal to win the Diamond in that time was Courtza, an October 25 foal who won on March 4– 861 days later – although Midnight Fever, an October 21 foal, won her Diamond at 860-days old on February 28.
Nine other October foals have won the Diamond since 1978, but Hurricane Sky (October 16) is the only one of them born later than the first week of that month.
September has supplied 20 of the last 45 Diamond winners, including Manikato (Sept 2), Zeditave (Sept 9), Bounding Away (Sept 26), Sepoy (Sept 27) and Rancher (Sept 28).
Thirteen Diamond winners were born in August with 1979 winner Star Shower, an August 4 foal, born closest to the horse's birthday.
Dubenenko, who was also born on August 4, is the next oldest foal behind Zulfiqar involved in this year's race, while The Instructor – who was foaled on October 31 – is the youngest.
2023 Blue Diamond field – dates of birth
July: Zulfiqar (31st)
August: Dubenenko (4th), Cigar Flick (16th), Veecee (18th), Steel City (20th), Picky (21st), Beauty Rising (23rd), De Sonic Boom (30th).
September: Barber (2nd), Exploring (4th), Brave Halo (9th), Don Corleone (11th), Arkansaw Kid (13th), Extreme Threat (23rd), Little Brose (27th).
October: Party For Two (5th), Sensical (26th), The Instructor (31st).
