The Blue Diamond Stakes is a Group 1 race for two-year-olds, held annually at Caulfield over 1200m. With a prize pool of $2 million, it stands as Victoria’s richest race for juveniles and one of the highlights of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival. Since its inception in 1971, when Tolerance claimed victory in the inaugural event, the Blue Diamond Stakes has become a coveted target for connections of promising young stars.

Leading up to the main event, the Blue Diamond Prelude for Colts and Geldings and the Blue Diamond Preview for Fillies are key preparatory races run at Caulfield under similar conditions. The winners of the Blue Diamond often continue their campaigns in Sydney, eyeing prestigious races such as the Golden Slipper at Rosehill, although achieving the Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper double has proven difficult in recent times, with Sepoy (2011) being the last to accomplish this feat.

The race day, typically held in mid to late February, headlines a marquee meeting that also features two other Group 1 races: the Oakleigh Plate and the Futurity Stakes. This event is recognized as the kickoff to Melbourne’s Autumn Carnival.