Field Of Play owners have late entry decision to make following Blue Diamond Prelude win

Having to part with $55,000 was made a lot easier after unbeaten gelding Field Of Play won the Blue Diamond Prelude to grab favouritism for the $2m Group 1.

Field Of Play is Blue Diamond favourite after winning the colts and geldings Prelude at Caulfield on Saturday. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

A $55,000 fee will get Field Of Play into the Blue Diamond Stakes arena after the unbeaten youngster grabbed favouritism for the $2m race at Caulfield.

Field Of Play’s connections have more than enough to pay the fee after the gelding banked $210,000 for his win in the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Prelude.

Natalie Young, who trains Field Of Play in partnership with Trent Busuttin, said the decision to pay the late entry fee could be an easy one.

The stable has until February 19 to decide whether Field Of Play would have the chance to give Busuttin and Young a second Blue Diamond Stakes win after Tagaloa won in 2020.

“It’s a good problem to have you know that you’ll be $55,000 short when you’re racing for that prizemoney,” Young said.

Field Of Play makes it two from two 💪@blake_shinnpic.twitter.com/CPKR47D527

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 8, 2025

Jockey Blake Shinn carried out his pre-race plan to confidently ride Field Of Play, sending the son of Deep Field forward to pressure the favourite Aleppo Pine.

Aleppo Pine faded in the last 200m, leaving Field Of Play in front but he had a long neck to spare over the $41 chance Devil Night while the $81 outside Katsumi Orochi surprised punters with his solid third.

Shinn said Field Of Play was a sprinter on the rise.

“He’s just a really beautiful horse to ride,” Shinn said.

“I’ve ridden a lot of nice two-year-olds over my time and he’s got a little bit of a way to go to be like a Capitalist, but he’s a very impressive horse.”

Field Of Play is the $5 favourite in Blue Diamond Stakes betting ahead of Palm Angel ($6), who bounced back to winning ways in the fillies Prelude.

Palm Angel won on debut at Caulfield in the spring but a wide gate hampered her chances in last month’s Blue Diamond Preview at Sandown.

Palm Angel chases them down! 😇@[e-mail]/iKLuec5bBb

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 8, 2025

In a reversal of fortune on their last meeting, Palm Angel had a comfortable run while Blue Diamond Preview winner My Gladiola worked from a wide draw to lead.

Ethan Brown got Palm Angel home over the top of the honest My Gladiola in the last 1000m.

“We went into her first-up run in the Preview a little bit soft, we’d gone there with one jumpout under our belt with a view that our grand final was still six weeks away,” Palm Angel’s trainer Jason Warren said.

“So, we used the run to bring her on. The barrier draw last start forced the issue, so we didn’t knock her around and felt that we came here much improved.

“I think we can tighten up a little bit further into the grand final in two weeks.”

Originally published as Field Of Play owners have late entry decision to make following Blue Diamond Prelude win