The bookies are having a tough time separating the colts and geldings engaged in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Prelude 2013 with three youngsters vying for favouritism in the tight betting markets for the Melbourne Festival of Racing feature.

Kuroshio is the narrow favourite to win Saturday's 2013 Blue Diamond Prelude

Set to run as Caulfield Race 3 at 2:00pm (AEST) this year’s $150,000 Group 3 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude (1100m) field features seven hopefuls, the top-rated of which are heading towards a start in the $1 million Group 1 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on February 23.

Current favourite in the Blue Diamond Prelude betting markets at bookmaker.com.au at a quote of $3.30 is the Peter Snowden-trained Kuroshio in gate five with stable jockey Kerrin McEvoy booked for the mount.

A $21 chance for the Blue Diamond Stakes in the ante-post markets, the Exceed And Excel colt has had three starts so far finishing in the money in all three runs.

On debut they beat a decent field in a Listed Flemington showdown in October before their third to early 2013 Golden Slipper betting favourite Villa Verde in the Inglis Debutants Stakes.

After a three month break Kuroshio resumed on Australia Day at Caulfield and was a close second to Dissident in the Blue Diamond Preview.

They will look to improve on that this weekend and turn the tables with the Peter Moody-trained Preview winner Dissident also engaged for the BD Prelude.

“He’s just a genuine little horse that jumps well and puts himself there,” Snowden’s son and the stables Melbourne foreman Paul Snowden said.

“He was pretty fresh there last time and raced a bit keenly so he should be able to show some improvement there on Saturday.”

Come jump time on Saturday however it could be Moody’s Sebring colt Dissident who starts favourite as they are currently just 10 cents longer than Kuroshio in the Prelude betting markets at $3.40.

Another horse is also hot on the heels of the two top fancies with $4 chance Marseille Roulette who, like Dissident, also comes off a win on debut.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Zizou colt narrowly held on to take out the Inglis Classic on January 19 over 1200m so will enjoy the drop back in distance, however they race the Melbourne way for the first time coming from Sydney.

Also at single figures is then the rails-drawn The Bowler ($7), Tony Vasil’s Testa Rossa two-year-old kicking off their career in this.

Two $11 chances then follow with Robbie Laing’s Group 3 HKJC Maribyrnong Plate winner Direct Charge and David Hayes’ BD Preview fourth placed Fast ‘N’ Rocking before Harvard Graduate ($51) rounds out the field and markets.

Check out the full 2013 Blue Diamond (Colts & Geldings) Prelude odds in the table below, prices you can now lock in at bookmaker.com.au.

Don’t forget to also check out bookmaker.com.au’s Australian-first Pick Your Own Odds markets on all the CF Orr Stakes Day races!

2013 Blue Diamond (Colts & Geldings) Prelude Odds

Caulfield Race 3 – 2:00pm (AEST) – 09/02/2013

*Fixed Win odds provided by bookmaker.com.au and subject to change