Connections of King Diamond are now contemplating heading over to Tasmania to run the six-year-old in the $225,000 group 3 Hobart Cup on February 10, instead of going to the paddock for a short break.

Trainer Jarrod McLean said King Diamond was a very honest performer.

“He just keeps on trying. He was probably a bit unlucky not to have run second. Waratone was hanging in on him around about  the 200-metre mark,” McLean said. 

“(Jockey) Steven Arnold was happy with the run but said the horse just never had the killer punch to put the other horses away. That probably cost him second place. He was only two lengths from the winner, Module.”

The 31-year-old trainer had planned to give King Diamond a short break after the Bagot and set him for the $200,000 Warrnambool Cup on May 2, but connections were now considering a start in the Hobart Cup.

“I’ll have a chat with the owners on Wednesday,” McLean said. “Some of them were thinking of going over to the Hobart Cup following his good run in the Bagot Handicap. I’ll be guided by what the owners want to do but if they ask me, I would love to have him in the paddock on Thursday morning.

“He would probably need two runs before the Warrnambool Cup. I’ve only had him for four runs and he’s won one, ran second in another and third in another. He’s been a great addition to my stable.”

King Diamond has won more than $150,000 in stakemoney from his four runs with the McLean stable.

Camperdown-trained mare Lady Chopin finished seventh in a restricted race over 1400m at Flemington, while Hamilton mare Rilelilmag ran ninth in the same race. Snapparazi, trained by Hamilton’s Barbara Marshman, finished eighth in a 1000m race.