If it worked once, why not do it again? Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are hoping history repeats itself as they send Field Of Play (#3) to Caulfield for Saturday’s $300,000 Blue Diamond Prelude.

The Cranbourne-based duo used this exact path to win the 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes with Tagaloa—an early win, followed by the Prelude, and then the big one. While Field Of Play (11/4) won’t be heading to stud like Tagaloa (he’s a gelding), the team believes he’s got the talent to make an impact in this lead-up race.

“He’s a long way off that level right now, but I do think he’s a pretty good horse,” Busuttin said. “I think you’ll see that on Saturday.”

Why Field Of Play (#3) is the Best Bet Today

Field Of Play has only raced once, but that one race was a statement. He broke his maiden in dominant fashion, pulling away to win by 3.5 lengths at Moonee Valley in December. Since then, he’s been kept fresh with a short break and tuned up with a Cranbourne jumpout.

“He had a 1000-meter jumpout a fortnight ago against older horses, and he went super,” Busuttin said. “We gave him a week in the paddock, then brought him back and kept him ticking over. He trialed up to expectations, so we’re very happy with him.”

With top jockey Blake Shinn back in the saddle, the stable is confident Field Of Play (#3) is ready to fire again.

The Competition

Field Of Play is currently the second favorite at 11/4 (3.75) behind Godolphin’s Aleppo Pine (#2, 6/4). Aleppo Pine impressed on debut and is expected to be the toughest opponent.

“The Godolphin horse looks very smart, his race and trial were impressive, so he’s the one to beat,” Busuttin admitted.

Then there are the unknown factors—two high-priced, unraced colts from Hawkes Racing.

• Devil Night (#7) – Purchased for $1.4 million at the 2024 Magic Millions sale

• Algorithmic (#6) – Another expensive colt, picked up for $760,000

“Good stables from Sydney are bringing down well-bred, fast two-year-olds, so it’ll be interesting,” Busuttin said. “But we’re going there thinking we can win.”

Final Verdict

Field Of Play (#3) ticks all the right boxes—strong debut, sharp recent trial, top jockey, and a stable that knows how to win these races. The odds are fair, and he’s already proven himself on raceday. If he takes another step forward, he’ll be hard to beat.

This is the best bet of the day.