The Gr2 Diadem Stakes dates back to 1974 when won by the top sprinter Lancaster, who was ridden by Paddy Kruyer for trainer Alec Soteriadis.
Flobayou wins the 1995 Gr2 Diadem Stakes
The race evolved from an event called the WFA Diadem Plate, which then changed to the Southern Cross Plate, and then latterly (1974 onwards) became the Southern Cross Stakes.
In 1974 the two races split properly and there was both a Southern Cross Plate (won by Mrs Noah) and a Diadem (won by Lancaster).
The Charles Laird trained Nhlavini joins Eric Sands’ brilliant sprinter Flobayou as the leading lights of the race over the past four decades.
Flobayou won it three times, as did Nhlavini who won it in 2001 and 2002, was second in 2004 and won it again in 2005.
Champion Pocket Power was second in 2006. In 2007 it was won by Rebel King, with Blue Tiger in 2nd (both are now stallions).
In 2008 the fortunes were reversed with Blue Tiger winning it, Pocket Power in 2nd and Rebel King 3rd.
Blue Tiger was 2nd again in 2009 and 3rd in 2010.
Flashback to 20 years ago
The unfortunate – and premature – retirement of Special Preview may have removed whatever opposition there was to Flobayou in the 1995 renewal.
It has always been our view, and it will forever remain so, that Special Preview was essentially a sprinter, and a superb one at that. We will never know, but with Flobayou the issue is cut-and-dried. The five-year-old has no peers when racing in a straight line, and Saturday’s 1995 WPOTA Diadem Stakes at Kenilworth saw him as dominant as ever.
The Weight For Age conditions of the Diadem Stakes meant that Flobayou had to suffer some unspeakable disaster to not capture the R64,500 first prize, and the bookmakers predictably took no chances. Eric Sands’ gelding was sent out 3/10 favourite, and he proved full value for it.
As usual, jockey Karl Neisius was prepared to bide his time and had Flobayou racing third of the seven runners as Prospectors Strike set a good paceclear of Bold Thatch. Prospectors Strike really tried to take the bull by the horns, and was still so far in front approaching the last 200m that we began to wonder if he hadn’t just maybe pulled a stunt to rival the Great Train Robbery.
Needless to say, all such fears were groundless.
Flobayou accelerated in his normal dazzling manner once Neisius let him go, and he simply shot away in the final 100m to win by 3.75 lengths. The early effort took its toll on Prospectors Strike anyway, and he faded into fourth as first outsider Jewel Of Asia and then Bushmanland stormed past to fill the places.
Flobayou was winning the Diadem Stakes for a second year in succession, and he has already this season repeated his success of last year in the Merchants Stakes.
The third and last of the summer’s premier sprints, the Cape Flying Championship in January, looks to be his for the taking. Victory there would complete Flobayou’s second cleansweep of Cape Town’s premier sprints for, as we already know full well, he won the whole lot of them last season as well.
All told, Flobayou has now won twelve times from just 14 career starts, and chalked up stakes of R614 340.
He is a son of Waterville Lake, who has always played second fiddle to his late (and much lamented) brother Golden Thatch, but who has had the last laugh by siring one horse who is probably better than anything even his more famous sibling could up with.
Diadem Honour Roll 1974 – 2014
2014 Captain Of All
2013 Welwitschia
2012 What A Winter
2011 What A Winter
2010 Past Master
2009 Thunder Key
2008 Blue Tiger
2007 Rebel King
2006 Golden Ivory
2005 Nhlavini
2004 Honour The Guest
2003 NO RACE
2002 Nhlavini
2001 Nhlavini
2000 Captain Al
1999 Eli’s Game
1998 Okukama
1997 Flobayou
1996 Cordocelli
1995 Flobayou
1994 Flobayou
1993 Phantom Saga
1992 Flaming Rock
1991 Flaming Rock
1990 Simonside
1989 Wainui
1988 Express Courier
1987 Lord Randolph
1986 Izindaba
1985 Gin Rummy
1984 Chili Bite
1983 NO RACE
1982 Breeze Past
1981 Lurgan
1980 Horatius
1979 Over The Air
1978 Eliminator
1977 High Glow
1976 Quartertone
1975 Quartertone
1974 Lancaster
