The countdown is on to the Group 1 $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) with 79 two-year-olds among the third acceptances on Thursday for the showpiece at Caulfield on February 20. 

Godolphin has 14 juveniles still in contentions as they look to emulate the deeds of the operation’s most recent winner of Victoria’s premier juvenile race, Lyre in 2019. 

Their list of third acceptances is the largest of any stable and is packed with quality with Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) winner Anamoe and fillies Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) placegetter Frost Flowers likely to join forces with a number of their stablemates on February 20. 

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will unleash $3 Blue Diamond favourite Enthaar at her Victorian debut in Saturday’s Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m). 

The Written Tycoon filly, one of six third acceptors for the training duo, burst onto the scene with a breath-taking Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) victory in October and will tighten considerably for the Diamond if she can justify her odds-on quote on Saturday. 

Debutant Stakes (1000m) winner Fake Love, Golden Gift (1100m) victor Sneaky Five and Ottawa Stakes (1000m) runner-up Nice For What underline the stable’s arsenal. 

Nice For What’s Ottawa vanquisher Dosh, who backed up that victory with a brilliant win in the fillies Preview on Tuesday, will now head straight into the Blue Diamond for Grahame Begg. 

Cindy Alderson’s colt Jigsaw, Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr) pair Profiteer and Extreme Warrior and Freedman Racing colt Artorius are others prominent in all-in markets that remain in contention. 

Matthew Ellerton & Simon Zahra appear just once among the list but face a pair of big decisions, with the connections of colts & geldings Preview winner General Beau and fillies Preview runner-up Tayla’s Moment required to pay the $55,000 Final Later Entry Fee for each if they are to take their place in this year’s Blue Diamond. 

Winning sire’s honours remain up for grabs with I Am Invincible and Written Tycoon represented by six of their progeny, although the latter does boast the aforementioned Enthaar. 

The Blue Diamond Stakes series continues on Saturday week with the Preludes (1100m; Group 2 for fillies, Group 3 for colts and geldings) before the Blue Diamond Stakes takes centre stage two weeks later.