Prince Tycoon will make his race debut at Caulfield on Saturday, with his trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young hopeful the performance will justify a trip north for the Magic Millions National 2YO Classic (1000m) at the Gold Coast on May 23.

The colt is entered for the Next Payments Handicap (1100m), stepping from barrier two after being scratched from a midweek race due to a wide draw.

Young noted they didn’t think Prince Tycoon could have matched Wednesday’s dominant winner, Frostnip, and opted to wait for a better opportunity.

“He would’ve had to do too much work early from the draw,” Young said. “And looking at the way Frostnip ran, we may not have finished close.”

Saturday’s race also offers increased prize money, which is crucial for qualification into the Gold Coast feature.

“Even a win on Wednesday wouldn’t have been enough prizemoney-wise, so this path makes more sense,” Young said.

The field has been trimmed to eight runners with Brave Design, Green Spaces, and Salty Pearl all withdrawn to pursue races in other states.

Young is confident the colt, who was a modest buy at the Magic Millions sale, has the talent to figure on debut.

“He’s shown good ability in trials, and he’s got natural speed,” she said.

Daniel Moor, who partnered Prince Tycoon to a strong jump-out win at Cranbourne on April 28, will again take the reins on race day.

Punters looking to wager on the Next Payments Handicap should explore promotions and odds at the top Australian betting sites.