John Gosden wary of challengers to 2000 Guineas favourite Field Of Gold

RTÉ News​

03-05-2025

John Gosden is keen to respect the opposition as his Craven Stakes hero Field Of Gold attempts to end his Betfred 2000 Guineas hoodoo at Newmarket today.
The Clarehaven handler has yet to win the first Classic of the summer, but has an outstanding chance of claiming that elusive piece of silverware when the son of Kingman bids to become the first colt to complete the Craven Stakes/2000 Guineas double since Haafhd in 2004.
"There are a lot of horses coming in to the race that have had away days at the Curragh or somewhere else and they are the ones I will always respect as you never know how much they have improved," said Gosden, who trains Field Of Gold alongside his son Thady.
"They have good form at two and if they have improved dramatically over winter, they could be a surprise package – it's not like everyone has shown their hand, they haven't. I will be very interested to see how those horses look in the paddock and they could be the main dangers.
"Then there is the horse who has raced in Dubai this year (Ruling Court) who looks a very talented horse and he's fully tuned, he's another to watch out for. I will be very interested to see how those horses look in the paddock and they could be the main dangers, the ones who haven't run in a trial in Europe this year."
The son of Kingman emulated his father by winning both the Solario Stakes at two and then impressing in his pre-Guineas assignment and having left a little to work on for the big day, Gosden is now hopeful he can repeat that Rowley Mile display with Classic honours at stake.
"He won the Solario at two, but got stuck in the mud in Longchamp and it was really deep ground and it was rather a non-race for him," Gosden continued.
"He trained well and the Craven was an obvious race to look at all the way through. I think he was on 85% in the Craven and there is no doubt that race has just sharpened him.
"I think in the Craven they probably overraced a little bit and there were fresh horses in front and therefore they went very hard and Field Of Gold was in the perfect position to go past them.
"Having said that, the race set up nicely and he finished strongly. I expected him to run a good race and didn't expect him to win like that.
"He's a very laid-back character and a very relaxed horse, just a pleasure to be around and an easy horse from that point of view.
"That will stand him in good stead in the prelims and everything else and he's always been that sort of character.
"I don't think he's an out-and-out miler and I do think he will be a horse who is comfortable in something like the Eclipse if we ever got to that time, I think a mile and a quarter would be well within his compass."
Jessica Harrington is targeting a British Classic breakthrough with Green Impact.
The Moone-based trainer has enjoyed major success under both codes during her long and illustrious career, from Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup triumphs at Cheltenham to Royal Ascot success and victories in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Irish Oaks.
A first win in one of the five Classics on British turf is now on her radar and in Green Impact, who won two of his three juvenile starts including a Group Two verdict over recent Ballysax Stakes scorer Delacroix, she has a horse who is being targeted at a Guineas-Derby double.
"Everything has gone according to plan, he's travelled over well and he's in great order," said Harrington.
"I'm very happy with him, he's done everything he had to do and it looks like they're putting plenty of water on the track, so hopefully it should be good, fast, safe ground.
"He showed plenty of pace last year and it's not as though they'll go slow in the Guineas, they'll go a good gallop.
"I think he will end up being a middle-distance horse, but you've got to start somewhere and if all goes well, that (the Derby) is the plan."
Another from Ireland is Joseph O'Brien's Scorthy Champ, who signed off his juvenile campaign with a Group One success in the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes.
O'Brien, who rode Camelot to win the 2000 Guineas in 2012, said: "We've had a good preparation and we're looking forward to it. It's great to be taking part with a live contender for the Guineas, hopefully we have a nice horse for the future and we're excited to get his season started.
"It's a 2000 Guineas and you have all the contenders from last season and this season. It looks like most of them are turning up and that's what you expect, the best of their generation, and at this stage of their careers we're going to see who the best one is.
"He's matured physically and if anything he is even a bit heavier than maybe we'd like him for his first run back, but that's probably a good way to have him.
"We won't have any concerns about the trip and the ground, so we're very much looking forward to it."
Charlie Appleby is double-handed in his bid for a third 2000 Guineas success in four years, with William Buick picking the impressive Meydan winner Ruling Court over last season's Dewhurst hero Shadow Of Light (near side), who will be ridden by Mickael Barzalona.
When asked whether it was a difficult choice for his stable jockey, Appleby said: "For sure – they're two totally different animals.
"Ruling Court has already run and won over the mile and in that respect he was always mooted as our Derby horse – he's the only entry we've made so far.
"Subsequently, he came into the Guineas picture and as we know, wherever you finish in a Guineas, it's a great trial for the Derby as long as you feel that when you step up to a mile and a half it's going to bring about further improvement.
"That was Will's mindset, he is our Derby horse, he sees out the mile well and he looks fantastic."
The concern for Shadow Of Light appears to be whether his stamina will stand up the test, with his trainer adding: "He came up here and had a nice gallop (at the Craven meeting) and what he has done is sharpen up – he's showing us his natural pace from last year.
"In doing that it obviously enhances the question over whether he'll stay the mile. We're confident on what we saw last year in the Dewhurst when he won his race and kept going, but at home we are seeing a lot of natural pace, so Will has gone with the one that he feels will see that mile out well."
Expanded looked like being Aidan O'Brien's potential third string earlier in the spring, with The Lion In Winter and Twain also in the reckoning, but as they have fallen by the wayside, it is left to the Dewhurst runner-up to fly the Ballydoyle flag.
O'Brien said: "We were preparing him for the Curragh on Monday (Tetrarch Stakes) as we'd decided we were going to split him and Twain up with a view towards the Irish Guineas.
"Twain then had a little setback earlier this week which meant he couldn't run. He's good again now and we'll look towards the Irish Guineas with him if he's OK.
"Expanded is in good form and ran well in the Dewhurst last year, but he even ran in that with the view of him being second-string as it was so soon after his first run. We thought it would do him good for next year.
"Then we had to pull out The Lion In Winter and he landed in the front rank, which wasn't really fair to him. He's been thrown into the front rank again."