History repeated when General Rippa scored a last-to-first win in his Blue Diamond Prelude

David Hayes unearthed a Patinack Farm Blue Diamond contender from nowhere for the second weekend in a row when General Rippa won Saturday's $125,000 Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for the colts and gelding.

Seven days after Mama's Choice produced a powerful burst to come from last on the turn and score an upset win on debut, General Rippa did precisely the same thing.

The son of General Nediym, a $65,000 Magic Million purchase, showed great race sense to poke through a narrow gap midway down the straight and score.

General Rippa had his price slashed from $81 to $18 for the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on 25 February, leaving Euroa-based Hayes thrilled with how his Diamond prospects are coming together close to the race.

“The timing is just right,” Hayes said. “I love seeing these young horses come from last and finish powerfully, especially on debut.

“I like their racing pattern for the Blue Diamond because it is a high pressure race and you love horses that are strong in the last 300 (metres).”

Handling the hustle and bustle of a Blue Diamond should be no problems for General Rippa judging by his debut performance.

The gelding was happy to take a gap at the 150m, which was around the same time $3.50 favourite Rusambo was involved in a bumping duel with Andre Roo Hoo, before sprinting away to score impressively.

The $17 chance, who was the second outsider of the field, scored by a neck from the Peter Snowden-trained Rusambo, who lost no admirers in defeat, with Ferment ($21) working home nicely down the outside the claim third, 1-1/4 lengths back.

General Rippa's time of 1:04.15 was much slower than the 1:03.38 Samaready went to win the fillies' Prelude, but Oliver, who won the 2004 Blue Diamond aboard Alinghi, said General Rippa has the qualities required to claim Victoria's premier juvenile event.

“He didn't know much early and he was content to sit back and watch them, but he took a nice gap there in the straight,” Oliver said.

“Even when he got to the front he didn't know how to put them away and when they came to him he sort of went again.

“He is still pretty raw and a long way from learning what it's all about yet but the extra distance (of the Blue Diamond) certainly won't hurt him.

“His style of racing won't hurt him either because he is the sort of horse that will race in the second half of the field and be strong at the end.”

General Rippa's win was one of two upset results engineered by Hayes at Caulfield with Eagle Falls getting home at $21 in the $125,000 Group 3 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes.

The Hussonet six-year-old posted his first win since last year's Group 1 Oakleigh Plate, 50 weeks ago, when overpowered First Command in the 1100m event.

Eagle Falls and top jockey Dwayne Dunn got home by three quarters of a length, to take his record to eight wins from 28 starts, from First Command with Hot Spin 3-1/4 lengths away third.

The full result of the Rubiton Stakes and the Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Prelude for the boys, along with Saturday's other seven races, are available by clicking here.