Sixteen of the season’s top two-year-olds face off at Caulfield Racecourse in Saturday’s feature race, the Group 1 $2 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), with betting on the lucrative autumn showdown narrowly led by Field Of Play.

The Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival heats up on the weekend with a triple-shot of elite level racing at Caulfield headlined by the Blue Diamond Stakes 2025 field.

The final acceptances and all-important Blue Diamond Stakes barrier draw have been revealed with the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young trained favourite, Field Of Play, leading the markets at Ladbrokes.com.au at $5.50.

The Deep Field gelding drew a dream gate with barrier five for Blake Shinn as the horse chases a flawless three from three start to his career.

He comes off a half-length win in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) and is well supported to complete the double for the first time since Written By (2018).

Busuttin & Young meanwhile are in the hunt for their second Blue Diamond success after victory with Tagaloa back in 2019.

In the Prelude Field Of Play beat home Devil Night who was on debut.

That Team Hawkes‘ Extreme Choice colt has his second career start in the Blue Diamond field looking to turn the tables on Saturday from gate two with Michael Dee aboard the potentially underrated $15 pop.

The Blue Diamond Fillies’ Prelude was won by the Jason Warren trained daughter of international sensation Starspangledbanner, Palm Angel, and she looks to continue her good form also in the Group 1 field this weekend.

Palm Angel won Caulfield’s Listed Merson Cooper Stakes on debut last November before resuming with a fifth in the Blue Diamond Preview at Sandown.

She relished a return to her pet track, which she also sees again in the Group 1 this weekend, to beat the Preview winning filly My Gladolia and take out the Group 2 Prelude by a length.

My Gladolia is in gate 11 this weekend and is at shorter Blue Diamond Stakes odds of $6.50 than her last start conqueror with Palm Angel, drawn the coveted rails alley with jockey Ethan Brown to ride, looking the value at $7.

Hayasugi (2024) did the fillies’ Preview – Prelude – Blue Diamond Stakes treble last year, which bodes well for Palm Angel in 2025.

In an open market on the final field, Cherish Me ($7.50) and Tempted ($9) can also be found at single figures.

The Ciaron Maher trained Brazen Beau filly Cherish Me won the Geelong Diamond by an impressive two lengths back in early January and will be ridden by Jamie Melham from barrier six in her second career start this weekend.

Tempted meanwhile is a nicely bred Street Boss filly donning the Godolphin Royal Blue who brings in Sydney form lines.

James Cummings‘ classy chestnut comes off a Group 3 Widden Stakes second at Rosehill on February 1 when going down a nostril flare in a thrilling photo finish with fellow Blue Diamond hope The Playwright.

Widden Stakes winning Written By filly The Playwright is at $11 Blue Diamond Stakes odds and lines-up as one of the most experienced in the field.

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott trained bonny bay jumps from gate three with Regan Bayliss continuing associations.

She has had four starts to date for two wins, a third in the summer’s Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes in Brisbane and an eye-catching $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic fourth to put her right in the frame to hand Waterhouse & Bott their maiden Blue Diamond trophy.

The Blue Diamond Stakes is one of three Group 1 features in Melbourne on Saturday along with the Oakleigh Plate for the sprinters and Futurity Stakes where Mr Brightside is odds-on favourite to defend his title.

The 2025 Blue Diamond Stakes is scheduled to run as Caulfield Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT).

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