General Rippa burst into contention for the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes with a strong finishing win in Saturday’s G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for colts and geldings at Caulfield.

Under the urgings of champion jockey Damien Oliver, General Rippa produced a stunning burst from the back of the field to win impressively.  A $65,000 bargain buy for trainer David Hayes at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, General Rippa was sold by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud.

He will now head to Victoria’s premier two-year-old contest after kicking away his career in the best possible way with a Group Three success.  “I love seeing these young horses come from last and finish powerfully on debut,” Hayes said.  “I like the racing pattern for the Blue Diamond. It’s a high pressure race and you love horses who are strong at the last 300 metres.”

“We thought he was pretty good and that’s why we put him in the race but he did a lazy bit of work on Monday which put me off slightly.  But all his work until then had been outstanding.  I think he’s pretty good.”

Winning rider Damien Oliver said he didn’t know a lot about General Rippa leading into the race, but he was suitably impressed with the winning performance.  “He didn’t know much early in the race,” Oliver said.  “He was a bit content to sit back and watch them.”

“He took a nice gap in the straight and then at the finish he really didn’t know about putting them away.  He’s still very raw.  He’s a long way from knowing what it’s all about and the extra distance certainly won’t hurt him.”

The 37th individual stakes winner for former star Widden Stud sire General Nediym, General Rippa is the second winner for two to race for his dam Nazzuca.  An unraced daughter of Canny Lad, Nazzuca is out of the Group One Thousand Guineas winner Azzurro.