A $255,000 weanling purchase in Australia that was then sold for $500,000 at Karaka Book 1 by Kaha Nui Farm, good looking Deep Field gelding Field of Play might have been bought with Hong Kong in mind, but after winning the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday that plan has changed for now
Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Field of Play bolted in on debut at Moonee Valley on December 28 with Blake Shinn in the saddle and he was keen to keep the ride for this tougher assignment.
Field of Play worked into contention and hit the front with 100m to run and held off a good challenge from first starter Devil Night, a $1.4million Extreme Choice colt that went down by half a length.
“He's taken a step from Moonee Valley and it's always a bit of an unknown coming here to the lead-up to the Blue Diamond, (knowing) where you're going to sit, but he really put his hand up today,” said Blake Shinn.
"Congratulations to Trent and Nat and Mike Kneebone and the whole ownership group. He's a very exciting horse, he's got a wonderful constitution and great attitude and that's holding him in such great stead at this early stage of his career."
Shinn is confident that a payment of the late entry fee into the $2million Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes could be rewarding.
"I'd be putting a bit of my percentage up to be paying the late entry fee, he's going to be one of the favourites I'd imagine off the back of that win,” Shinn said.
"He's already won at 1200.
"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."
Field of Play has banked $293,100 for his first two wins and has bigger fish to fry.
"It's great to see, it's fantastic for Mr Cheng and Mike Kneebone, a big part of us getting this horse and having him, so it's fantastic to know that we're going to be back here in two weeks chasing a Blue Diamond," said Natalie Young.
"Obviously, he's a gelding and he walked around the parade ring today and I thought, 'it's six weeks between runs, he still looks like he's a little bit pretty', but that's just the way he is.
"It's a good effort to be six weeks (between runs) and deliver that sort of time and still win like that.
"He'll be better as a three-year-old obviously, but he's winning and it's (Blue Diamond) only two weeks away, so if he pulls up great through the week that's where we'll be going."
Consigned by Middlebrook Valley Lodge to the Inglis Weanling Sale where he was sourced by Kaha Nui Farm, Field of Play was purchased at Karaka by Jamie Richards / Andrew Williams Bloodstock and runs for Patella Express Racing managed by Mike Kneebone.
Bred by Verna Metcalfe and Ted and Sandra Beirs, Field of Play is the third winner from three foals to race from winning I Am Invincible mare Californiasurprise, a daughter of Group III winner Camporella.
Alma Vale Thoroughbreds sold the current yearling from Californiasurprise, a filly by Stay Inside, at Magic Millions for $300,000 to Grahame Begg Racing/Rohan Hughes.
Purchased from the 2022 Inglis Broodmare Sale for $140,000 by the Beirs family’s Glenbawn Bloodstock, Californiasurprise has a colt to follow by Artorius and was covered again by the same sire.
Field of Play is the 38th stakes-winner for now pensioned sire Deep Field and is the eighth for I Am Invincible as a broodmare sire.
