RACING: TORTURE IN DIAMONDS PURSUIT

THE Hayes brothers have demonstrated their faith in the in-form apprentice Jackson Radley by giving him the ride on two-year-old filly Torture in the Geelong Diamond (1100m).

At stake for the two-year-olds in the Geelong Diamond is a coveted golden ticket into the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 20.

The Tasmanian apprentice is apprenticed to the Hayes brothers, and he ended the year with a win on Rue De Royale at Flemington.

He was also successful on December 20 at Caulfield with a winning double.

Torture was impressive at her debut, winning the Debutant Stakes at Caulfield in October.

Ben Hayes, speaking on SEN’s Giddyup, said that Radley’s three-kilogram claim will come in handy for the two-year-old filly.

He pointed out that this would reduce her weight to 56 kilograms, which brought her back to most of the field.

“She’s been good fun already. She won impressively on debut, and we’ve been happy with her,” Hayes said.

Hayes said Torture’s last start win in a Pakenham jump-out was very good.

“We’ve drawn a little wide and at her first start she went back and hit the line and finished strongly, so she will be suited by an extra 100m,” he said.

Favourite for the Geelong Diamond is the Ciaron Maher-trained Ghana’s Akan, who races in the same colours as Torture, as she is also raced by John O’Neill.

Maher has dominated two-year-old racing in Melbourne this season with four winners.

Ghana’s Akan will be ridden by Jamie Melham, and she is $3.20 favourite with Unibet.

Torture is $5.50 second favourite.