COLEMAN WINS THE Gr3 CHAIRMAN'S STAKES & MISS ICELANDIC MAKES IT A DOUBLE AT CAULFIELD

It was almost the perfect day at Caulfield on the weekend, with our team securing a double with Miss Icelandic and Coleman winning consecutive races and a second placing with Midtown Boss in the last race of the card.

First up was a rewarding win by 4yo Deep Field mare Miss Icelandic over 1100m; her third successive win in the past month. Given a perfect ride by Ben Melham, they ended up leading on the rails after jumping well from barrier three. Cleary relaxed in the lead, it was evident a fair way from home that she would give a great show over the closing stages, having travelled beautifully throughout. Leading into the straight, she drew away from the field to win by an impressive 2.75 lengths. "It was a good, solid win and she's a mare in form," Melham reflected post race. "They're always hard to beat".

Matt highlighted the development the mare had shown over her past month's performances. "We've always liked this filly. She's always shown us a little bit of something but she's taken a long time to mature up and handle the work load required. She's obviously now putting it all together and it's good to see her string together three on the trot and get a valuable win in town. I still feel like there's more improvement to come."

Two-year-old Coleman was next, lining up in the Gr3 Chairman's Stakes which resulted in a dominant, impressive win, confirming him as a serious Blue Diamond contender.

Ben Melham had the favourite sitting one-off the pace - which was hot - and for just a moment approaching the turn it appeared that he was under pressure. However on straightening, the Pierata colt kicked into gear and reeled in the leader comfortably. In fact his best was on the line, suggesting that the 1200m of the Blue Diamond could suit him perfectly.

Matt was thrilled with the effort of his star colt. "That was a really good win. The Snowden horse had him chasing a bit. There was a split second where he looked like he was going to come off the bridle but when he picked it back up he was super powerful on the line. He's a really impressive colt."

Similarly after his first win in the Debutant Stakes, Ben Melham mentioned the horse's competitive nature. "The question with him is not his ability - he's got very good ability - he's just a very competitive horse. He's still putting it all together; he's going to be scary when he does".

Coleman's next start will be in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on the 24th of February.

Watch both Miss Icelandic and Coleman's wins below.