Dinkum Diamond began a big day for leading owner-breeder Harry Perks with an easy victory in the Adelaide Galvanising Hcp (1000m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

The Keep The Faith filly claimed the first-leg of winning double for Perks and trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas.  She coasted home first-up after winning the G3 The Jansz in May.

Connections were on Cloud 9 later in the day when Southern Speed produced a whirlwind finish to win the LR Penny Edition Stakes.  She is on course to defend her Caulfield Cup crown in October and more accolades followed on Saturday night when she was named South Australia’s 2011-12 Racehorse of the Year.

Dinkum Diamond (3f Keep The Faith – Raja Lane by Devaraja) will join her stablemate on the road to target the G1 Thousand Guineas during the Caulfield Cup carnival.  “It’s exciting to have her back and she’s improved further since The Jansz preparation,” Gluyas said.  “She did have a bit of an impost first-up so we decided to claim 3kg with Jamie Kah.”

Her dam Raja Lane was a stakes winner at Cheltenham and Caulfield and Perks bought her for $60,000 at the 2009 Inglis Great Southern Sale when she was carrying Dinkum Diamond.

Greta West Stud sire Keep The Faith is on a roll with a dozen individual winners in Australia so far in August.  Bel Esprit (16) heads Victorian based stallions in the winners category this season followed by Elvstroem (13), Keep The Faith (12) and Dash For Cash (11).

Keep The Faith (Sunday Silence) will stand for a $4,400 (inc gst) service fee at Greta West Stud in 2012.

DINKUM DIAMOND
Photo / Jenny Barnes