The betting landscape for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield has shifted significantly after key contenders failed to deliver in the lead-up races on Saturday.
My Gladiola, who was the top pick for the prestigious event on February 22, aimed to solidify her favoritism in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for fillies but was unable to justify the odds, finishing second as the race favorite.
Meanwhile, Godolphin’s highly regarded colt Aleppo Pine was backed at $2.45 to take out the colts and geldings division of the Prelude but faded to fifth after leading into the straight. A post-race examination revealed he had pulled up lame in his left foreleg, as reported by Racing Victoria stewards.
Field Of Play, who wasn’t initially nominated for the Blue Diamond, surged to victory with an impressive front-running performance. His win has seen him installed as the new $5 favorite, with Palm Angel sitting close behind at $6 with wagering sites. My Gladiola has drifted to $8 following her loss.
Trainer Natalie Young, who co-trains Field Of Play alongside Trent Busuttin, confirmed they would pay the $55,000 late entry fee to gain a spot in the Blue Diamond field.
“It is when you’re running around for $2 million,” Young said.
Young praised jockey Blake Shinn for his ride, noting that his confidence in the colt paid off.
“Blake Shinn just rode him absolutely fantastic. He actually said, ‘I’ll just ride him like he’s the best horse in the race’, and he did and he got the job done. It’s a good problem to have knowing that you’ll be 55k short when you’re racing for that prizemoney.”
Busuttin and Young are chasing their second Blue Diamond victory after their 2020 success with Tagaloa. Meanwhile, Shinn humorously mentioned he might contribute to the late nomination fee from his winnings.
“He’s going to be one of the favourites I’d imagine off the back of that win and he’s already won at 1200 (metres),” Shinn said. “He’s just a really beautiful horse to ride. 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.”
Among the contenders, Palm Angel remains a strong player after winning the Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield in November. However, she was beaten by My Gladiola in the Blue Diamond Preview at Sandown, though trainer Jason Warren believes she will peak at the right time.
“We went into her first-up run in the Preview a little bit soft,” Warren said. “We’d gone there with one jump-out under our belt with a view that our Grand Final was still six weeks away. 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.”
