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Final field and barrier draw for the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes

After paying the $55,000 late entry fee, trainer Trent Busuttin picked the perfect barrier for favourite Field Of Play in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes.

Brad Waters
4 min read
February 18, 2025 - 3:27PM
Field Of Play has drawn barrier five in the Blue Diamond Stakes. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images
Field Of Play has drawn barrier five in the Blue Diamond Stakes. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

- additional reporting from Gilbert Gardiner

The gamble to run unbeaten youngster Field Of Play in Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes took a step towards paying off after Tuesday’s barrier draw for the $2m event.

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young paid the $55,000 late entry fee on Tuesday morning to get the gelding into the field for the 2025 edition of Victoria’s richest two-year-old race.

Busuttin later picked the perfect gate five for Field Of Play, the winner of the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Prelude, at Tuesday’s draw at Caulfield.

“That was ideal,” Busuttin said.

“I came here hoping to draw in the first half of the field, one to seven or something like that, and luckily we got it.”

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Field Of Play’s draw convinced bookmakers to trim the son of Deep Field from $5.50 into $5 favouritism for Saturday’s contest.

Mornington-trained fillies Palm Angel and My Gladiola occupy the second line of Blue Diamond Stakes betting after drawing barriers one and 11 respectively.

My Gladiola’s jockey Jamie Mott said the gate would allow him to secure cover out of the forecast strong winds, conserving the smart grey’s energy for the dash to the post in the straight.

“We’ll be coming out as quiet as we can, even though she does begin quite well,” Mott said.

“We’re just hoping with the high pressure of the Blue Diamond that she can slot in three-wide with cover somewhere and relax.

“Hopefully she can get a drag into the straight and peel (out) to show that turn of foot.”

Palm Angel defeating My Gladiola in the fillies Prelude. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images
Palm Angel defeating My Gladiola in the fillies Prelude. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Trainer Jason Warren welcomed barrier one for Palm Angel.

“She’s a speed horse so she’ll roll along in behind the leaders,” Warren said.

“It’s Ethan’s (Brown) about getting her away from the fence in the straight but they usually break up in this race.

“It’s always good speed and hopefully he can poke through like he did last start.”

Stablemate Eden Rose, a three-start maiden and $126 outsider, drew barrier 14.

“She’s a filly that does everything right with a great attitude and she’s tough as nails.

Eden Rose finished fourth in the Listed Debutant Stakes last year and raced well “in good company” the past two starts.

Cherish Me, the winner of last month’s Geelong Diamond on debut, is the highest-rated of three Ciaron Maher-trained runners in the race.

Cherish Me is a $7.50 chance after drawing barrier 12 while the consistent Wiltshire Square will start from barrier 13 and Icarian Dream has gate seven.

Barrier seven is a welcome change for Icarian Dream, who won a Group 3 race in Brisbane from barrier 12 in December before drawing the outside alley when 12th in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast.

BLUE DIAMOND STAKES BARRIER DRAW

No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight

1 – FIELD OF PLAY – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Blake Shinn – 5 – 57kg

2 – TYCOON STAR – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Mark Zahra – 15 – 57kg

3 – EXTRACTOR – Michael Freedman – Ben Melham – 8 – 57kg

4 – TENTYRIS – Anthony & Sam Freedman – Damian Lane – 4 – 57kg

5 – DEVIL NIGHT – Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes – Michael Dee – 2 – 57kg

6 – AUTUMN MYSTERY – Rory Hunter – Patrick Moloney – 16 – 57kg

7 – OLATUNDE – Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman – Billy Egan – 9 – 57kg

8 – THE PLAYWRIGHT – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Regan Bayliss – 3 – 55kg

9 – PALM ANGEL – Jason Warren – Ethan Brown – 1 – 55kg

10 – ICARIAN DREAM – Ciaron Maher – Thomas Stockdale – 7 – 55kg

11 – MY GLADIOLA – John McArdle – Jamie Mott – 11 – 55kg

12 – MISS CELINE – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Jye McNeil – 10 – 55kg

13 – WILTSHIRE SQUARE – Ciaron Maher – Harry Coffey – 13 – 55kg

14 – CHERISH ME – Ciaron Maher – Jamie Melham – 6 – 55kg

15 – TEMPTED – James Cummings – Craig Williams – 12 – 55kg

16 – EDEN ROSE – Jason Warren – Daniel Stackhouse – 14 – 55kg

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Betting update

No. – Horse – Pre-draw – Post-draw

1 – FIELD OF PLAY – $6 - $5

2 – TYCOON STAR – $11 - $15

3 – EXTRACTOR – $34 - $26

4 – TENTYRIS – $21 - $15

5 – DEVIL NIGHT – $18 - $19

6 – AUTUMN MYSTERY – $26 - $26

7 – OLATUNDE – $101 - $81

8 – THE PLAYWRIGHT – $13 - $11

9 – PALM ANGEL – $8 - $6.50

10 – ICARIAN DREAM – $26 - $23

11 – MY GLADIOLA – $7 - $7

12 – MISS CELINE – $26 - $34

13 – WILTSHIRE SQUARE – $18 - $21

14 – CHERISH ME – $8 - $7

15 – TEMPTED – $9 - $9

16 – EDEN ROSE – $101 - $101

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

The Caulfield track was rated a Good 4 on Tuesday morning. The rail will be in the 4m position on Saturday.

The Bureau Of Meteorology forecast for Melbourne is.

Tuesday – Partly cloudy. 21.

Wednesday – Cloudy. 20.

Thursday – Partly cloudy. 22.

Friday – Mostly sunny. 32.

Saturday – Mostly sunny. 35.

CLICK HERE to get the fields and formguide for Caulfield meeting on Saturday.

Originally published as Final field and barrier draw for the 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes

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