Closer To Free has rocketed into Blue Diamond Stakes contention just days after changing stables, delivering a tough and polished debut victory in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield that immediately stamped him as a colt on a sharp upward curve.
Now trained by Danny O’Brien, the colt’s rise has been as rapid as it has been remarkable. O’Brien only purchased Closer To Free from respected horseman Adrian Corboy after being taken by an eye-catching trial performance in late January, a decision made almost on the spot.
“I saw him in the mounting yard before the trial because I had one in it and Adrian is one of the best, if not the best, breakers and he does all of our yearlings,” O’Brien said.
“I asked him what he was doing down here and he said he was trialling this one with the potential to sell him.”
“Before the horse left the mounting yard after the trial, I walked back with him and saw how easily he’d taken it. As Adrian was hosing the horse down, I bought him.”
That decisive moment has already been emphatically vindicated. Despite having spent only a short time in the Flemington yard, Closer To Free looked anything but underdone when stepping out for his first raceday appearance. Specced late in betting from $15 into $13, he burned the candle at both ends over the 1100 metres, pressing forward early, absorbing pressure throughout and still finding enough late to secure the Prelude and book his place firmly on the Blue Diamond path.
For a first starter, it was a performance full of substance. Closer To Free showed natural speed, composure and resilience, traits often exposed when juveniles are forced into genuinely run races. Rather than flinching when challenged, he responded, knuckling down strongly under pressure to hold off his rivals.
Closer To Free wins the Blue Diamond Prelude on debut 🤯
He was 200-1 for the Blue Diamond only a couple of weeks ago!@DOBrienRacing pic.twitter.com/oi8aBrJY9B
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 7, 2026
Rider Michael Dee, who partnered Devil Night to Blue Diamond success last year, said the colt immediately reminded him of a horse who had already conquered the race.
“He actually gave me a similar feel to what Devil Night did last year,” Dee said. “Very similar horse. Same colour, very stocky and built similar.”
“Devil Night ran second here and we were able to win today.”
The comparison is not insignificant. Dee’s familiarity with what a genuine Blue Diamond contender feels like added further weight to the performance, particularly given how Closer To Free handled sustained pressure throughout the run.
The signs had been there for those paying close attention. Prior to the stable switch, Closer To Free had impressed in his trial work on the Caulfield Heath track, a performance that proved decisive in O’Brien’s swift move to secure the colt. The seamless transition from trial performer to raceday winner suggests there is still plenty of upside to come.
The market has been quick to catch up. As much as 200/1 was available about Closer To Free prior to those trials, a price that now looks extraordinary in hindsight. Following Saturday’s win, he has surged into around $7 as second favourite for the Blue Diamond, a dramatic correction that reflects both the merit of the Prelude performance and growing confidence in his profile.
Short-priced favourite Guest House endured a far tougher run than the winner. Slow away, he was forced to race three wide throughout yet stuck on gamely to finish second, a performance full of merit given the early disadvantage and one that keeps him firmly in calculations with even luck. Eurocanto, another well-spruiked juvenile, never found his rhythm, over-racing badly in the early stages before weakening late.
It is shaping as a season where hype alone is no longer enough. Several early fancies have already gone by the wayside or struggled to measure up once genuine pressure has been applied. On the evidence so far, Closer To Free now joins last week’s impressive winner Big Sky as the clear top two seeds in the Blue Diamond picture, both having delivered performances built on substance rather than noise.
From a colt bought only weeks ago to a single-figure chance for one of Australia’s premier juvenile races, Closer To Free’s rise has been rapid and compelling. If he continues on this trajectory, his shock emergence may yet become one of the defining stories of this year’s Blue Diamond build-up.
