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 made a mess of his rivals at Moonee Valley on Saturday when bolting in to win as he pleased,
Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Field of Play was heavily backed in the 1200m juvenile contest and jumped quickly for Blake Shinn before taking a sit behind the leaders.
He zoomed around them before the turn and galloped away to win by more than three lengths in a dominant display.
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uo;He knew his job very well and full credit to Trent and Nat as they prepped him up nicely and well done to Mike Kneebone and Patella Racing, they’ve got a smart horse here,” Shinn said.
“I think he’s ultimately more of a Guineas style of horse / a miler type, but what he did today over 1200m was very impressive.”
Co-trainer Trent Busuttin indicated after Saturday’s race that the gelding is likely to target the Group I Blue Diamond (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22.
“He’s shown that sort of ability at home, so we were hoping he’d do that today,” Busuttin said. “Two-year-olds get beaten more than they win first-up, so we’re very happy to get the win.
“He was up and going early in the spring and we took him to those first two-year-old trials at Caulfield, and he got a bit lost that day. But Luke Currie gave him a big wrap and said wait for 1200m, so we tipped him out, gave him a little break and now here he is. When Blake pushed the button as early as he did today, he obviously had a lapful of horse.
“A race like the Blue Diamond is a natural target for him. We’re mindful of the fact that he’s not a 1000m type of two-year-old, so we’ll probably try to get him into the Blue Diamond Prelude (Gr.3, 1100m) in early February and go from there.”
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.
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.
