Field sights set on Sussex gold
His sire Kingman landed both of those Group One events before completing his hat-trick in this race 11 years ago and Field Of Gold is odds-on to follow suit in the hands of William Buick, who takes over in the saddle from the suspended Colin Keane.
SUPERSTAR! FIELD OF GOLD ROUTS THEM IN THE ST JAMES'S PALACE STAKES! #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/ENbnZHKAZk
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 17, 2025
'The horse is athletic, he's got great balance, and hopefully he'll handle the track well. It's very different to the round mile of Ascot or the Curragh, that's for sure,' said John Gosden.
'He does have that great turn of foot, let's hope we get a clear run and he can produce it on the day.
'His father won the Sussex in somewhat cheeky fashion, it was an extraordinary race. They literally crawled, then sprinted in the last two furlongs, and fortunately we got it just right on the line.'
Field Of Gold renews rivalry with St James's Palace runner-up Henri Matisse, who had previously landed the French 2000 Guineas for Aidan O'Brien.
The Wootton Bassett colt has three and a half lengths to find with the hot favourite from their Royal Ascot meeting and O'Brien is keeping his fingers crossed he can at least close the gap.
'So far everything has gone well since Ascot and we're looking forward to seeing him run,' he said.
'We think he's gone the right way since Ascot.'
The older brigade is headed by Docklands and Rosallion, who were split by just a nose when second in the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Harry Eustace, the trainer of Docklands, said: 'The track should suit him. He has run there before (in 2023) and to the eye was a little disappointing, but it was his first run off the back of his win in the Britannia and, in hindsight, I don't know whether I had him 100 per cent.
'He handled Epsom well, so I have no problem with the cambers at Goodwood. The quality of the race might be another matter.
'It can't be overstated how important he's been for us for the last three years. We'll cherish his two wins at Royal Ascot forever.
'We're a relatively young business and he is by a long way our flagship horse – he has been key to everything that's happened since.'
Meanwhile, Richard Hannon will be looking to replicate some of the great days his father enjoyed in this race with the likes of Canford Cliffs and Toronado as he runs his stable star Rosallion.
Like Field Of Gold, the son of Blue Point suffered defeat in the 2000 Guineas before landing Classic honours in Ireland and then scoring at Royal Ascot and his loyal pilot Sean Levey is relishing this mouthwatering clash of generations.
He told Ladbrokes: 'There's no doubt Field Of Gold is going to be very difficult to beat, based on what we've seen of him so far. He's an exceptional horse, but I think we have the right attributes to take him on.
'He's a four-year-old this year which means he has to give away weight, but he's improved with every run, in my opinion, from the Lockinge to just being denied at Ascot in the Queen Anne. He's improved, as good horses do, and I know he's in a really good place coming into this.
'To be fair, I think we were very unlucky to be denied in the Queen Anne by what was literally the flare of a nostril and he ran into a specialist in Docklands, who was very good on the day.
'But Goodwood is a different story altogether and Rosallion is a good horse who has shown his versatility across a number of racetracks.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Fallen Angel a Group One winner again in Prix Rothschild
It was January who would prove the biggest challenger and as Fallen Angel began to tussle with her Ballydoyle rival it appeared Christophe Soumillon had gained the advantage aboard the Falmouth Stakes runner-up. Fallen Angel rallies gamely to land the Group One Prix Rothschild at Deauville! 🇫🇷 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 3, 2025 However, Fallen Angel would not lie down and showed the toughness that has been a hallmark of her career to wrestle back supremacy and register a neck verdict in the nick of time. It was the first time she had tasted success in the colours of owners Wathnan Racing but by adding a third success at the highest level she joins Laurens by winning top races in three successive seasons for their Middleham-based trainer. Burke said: 'She's a great filly and she is now a Group One winner at two, three and four like Laurens and I think it's a great achievement to have trained two good fillies like that. 'I was a little bit surprised that James Doyle didn't go for her (over Crimson Advocate) and I did tell him she had been working great since Ascot, in particular in the last couple of work mornings. 'We put cheekpieces on her today because she's a little bit older now and has been going up and down the gallop at Middleham for a few years now and her work was just getting that little bit lacklustre. 'But a couple of occasions we'd worked her with the sheepskins on and she's really worked well and even without them on her work has stepped forward so I was delighted she was able to show it on the track. 'The ground was definitely better for her today and Ascot was too quick for her. If you watch the replay, she travelled on it, but when she was asked to quicken coming round the bend her head was coming up and it was only the last 100 yards that she relented to go forwards again. 'She's not ungenuine and tried her hardest then, but she just wants that little bit of juice in the ground really. 'We went over there, and without sounding overconfident, we were pretty bullish she would run well and she has proved she's still got plenty of talent. She's very tough and she's now got another Group One in the bag.' Trainer Karl Burke was thrilled with Fallen Angel's victory (Mike Egerton/PA) It could prove a case of unfinished business wherever Fallen Angel makes her next start, with Burke mentioning both a quick return to France for the Prix Jean Romanet on August 24 and Leopardstown's Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes (September 13) as possible options. A repeat visit to Deauville would see the four-year-old make just her second start at 10 furlongs having tried the trip for the first time when narrowly beaten in the Prix de l'Opera last October. Meanwhile, Fallen Angel found just Porta Fortuna too strong in the Matron 12 months ago and remaining at a mile for another trip to Dublin would provide the opportunity to correct the record in the Irish capital. 'She's in the Prix Jean Romanet back at Deauville in three week's time and the Leopardstown race would also be high on the agenda,' continued Burke. 'I'm not sure yet and I'll sit down and have a chat with Danny, James and Richard Brown and the Wathnan team and we'll make a plan. 'We think she will stay a mile and a quarter but she's obviously still got the speed for a mile so we will just have to do what is best for her at the time.'
Powys County Times
5 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Kalpana taking things easy before big autumn targets
Kalpana will take a well-trodden path to Paris after she ignited dreams of back-to-back wins in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for owners Juddmonte when second in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Andrew Balding's star filly found just French raider Calandagan too good in Ascot's mid-summer showpiece, replicating the effort of Juddmonte's Bluestocking 12 months ago, who would go on to score in both the Prix Vermeille and Europe's richest middle-distance prize in the autumn. Kalpana is set for a short break to recover from her Ascot exertions, but as a general 7-1 favourite for the Arc could follow the 'Bluestocking route' to the French capital with the Vermeille a possibility for her return. Kempton's Unibet September Stakes on September 6, a race the daughter of Study Of Man won last season before landing Group One success on British Champions Day – and used by the great Enable to tee-up Arc glory in 2018, is another option at her disposal. 'She ran huge and the handicapper put her official rating up again which shows she ran a career best,' said Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon, reflecting on her Ascot second. 'She's so genuine and just always tries her heart out and Andrew is going to give her a little break now just to freshen her up with the autumn in mind. 'What that will look like we're not quite sure yet, but we've got the Prix Vermeille and September Stakes as the two races we will look at and hopefully, ultimately it is the Arc in October. 'Both races have lead us to Arc glory in the past so the owners will sit down with Andrew in a few weeks time and see which way they want to go.' Prior to her second to Calandagan, Kalpana has also performed with credit in two appearances at the Curragh when third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup after an interrupted passage, then runner-up to Whirl in a thrilling renewal of the Pretty Polly Stakes. Buoyed by those fine efforts in defeat on quicker going over the summer months, the Kalpana team are now excited about what could come when encountering envisaged easier conditions in the second half of the season when combined with her preferred mile and a half distance. Mahon added: 'She'll be ready to go in the autumn and hopefully there will be a little bit more juice in the ground which we know she likes and will suit her. She's shown such a high level of form on good and good to firm that we feel there is a bit more to come on softer ground. 'She's favourite for the Arc and I don't know if that indicates much or not but it is one of Europe's premier middle-distance races and definitely the type of races Juddmonte want to be competing in.'
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
CALUM McCLURKIN: Field Of Gold reversal proves there are no guarantees in this volatile game as 'Glorious' Goodwood turns into an almighty grind
We've all been there as punters. 'This can't be beaten. 'A nailed-on certainty. 'The banker of all bankers.' These are all buzz words and phrases that are commonplace in the world of racing punting. It's a vote of maximum confidence but nothing can be guaranteed. We saw a fair few seismic shocks at the Cheltenham Festival this year. Galopin Des Champs beaten in the Gold Cup and Majborough suffered the same fate in the Arkle Novices' Chase. And not many had Golden Ace on their Champion Hurdle radar this year. It happens. Much more often than most of us punters think. And small value plays on outsiders are far less expensive losers than going all-in and ultimately having misplaced confidence on the jolly. Those are the kinds of decisions punters must make. Either that or avoid it all together. Sometimes we just don't learn our lessons. Ground, tactics, bad luck and mistakes can all be contributing factors in high-level athletes losing a race or a match. Sometimes they can just flat out underperform on the big day. That's what, mainly, happened to Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at 'Glorious' Goodwood this week. Sent off a warm 1-3 favourite, Field Of Gold could only manage fourth and lost to 150-1 shot Qirat. You'd have been forgiven in thinking the winning horse's name was Pacemaker Qirat. He was there to set the fractions but was given too much rope on the front end and his finishing speed of 107 per cent in the last two furlongs proved that. Only rated 102 pre-race, there was a widespread assumption that Qirat would just come back to the field that contained Rosallion, Henri Matisse and Field Of Gold. The trio were all rated at least 17lb superior than Qirat but market principals were all caught out watching each other. Rosallion got to within a neck but Qirat managed to hold on. It was steal of the century stuff from Juddmonte's second string who was there to set the fractions, a pace that probably wasn't strong enough for Field Of Gold in the end. But trainers of Field Of Gold John and Thady Gosden revealed that the favourite was lame behind and he certainly didn't travel or pick up with any urgency like he did in his previous four races this season. The trainer was also quick to note that he became unbalanced around the bend. There will be other days for Field Of Gold and perhaps the next port of call will be a step up to 10 furlongs for the Juddmonte International Stakes at York. In truth, you could be forgiven for dubbing 'Glorious' Goodwood as 'Inglorious' Goodwood at times. Thursday's feature being run over a flag start was nothing short of embarrassing. Challenging conditions or not with lightning in the area, the Nassau Stakes really ought to have been delayed until the lightning was cleared to use the stalls or simply postponed until the Friday. Perhaps the ITV scheduling factor forced the hand of Goodwood but a flag start for a Group One isn't just unsatisfactory as most have labelled it, it is unacceptable mickey mouse stuff. And if it's going to happen at least try to start the field in some semblance of a line. What added insult to injury was Whirl was given a good six lengths at the start by being the only horse galloping into the start as main market rivals in the five-runner race Bedtime Story and See The Fire blew it by comparison. It was all over inside 10 seconds as jockey Ryan Moore admitted after the race. Whirl was going to dictate – and probably win – anyway but this was essentially a gift-wrapped Group One in a monsoon with her market rivals being minded out the back for future targets in York and France, respectively. It's weather that Goodwood isn't alien to after the last three races in 2023's final day were called off and Here Comes When floored Ribchester in the Sussex Stakes in similar biblically wet conditions in 2017. The ground was then changed to heavy on a whim after the Nassau Stakes when times said it was soft, an error the clerk of the course admitted to. Then there was a seven-yard strip of fresh ground introduced on Friday that if you were further than three horses off the rail then you couldn't win. Every horse that won that day was well positioned on the inside in the closing stages, the winner of the King George feature was berthed in stall one. And let's not forget the good few horses, Noble Champion springs to mind in the Lennox Stakes, that lost their action on the watered good ground in the first couple of days of the festival when the main story was a deeply upsetting one in the loss of wonderful veteran stayer Trueshan, who trainer Alan King paid an emotional, moving tribute to. Look, fatal fractures can happen anywhere and nobody was to blame but it was an upsetting sight and left a dark cloud hanging over the rest of the meeting that, generally speaking, was wholly inadequate in tricky conditions. Seeing decent times despite horses regularly kicking the top off the ground is just visually odd. It happened at Newmarket's July meeting as well. The going was given as good to firm but all the winning times were outside standard. Punters have little chance and no wonder liquidity is markedly down. Who can genuinely bet with confidence on this? We have all the data in the world in relations to times, sectionals, finishing speeds and stride patterns yet ground descriptions seem stuck in the dark ages. Why? It needs to improve. Conditions were tough at Goodwood and the bosses did well to largely keep the show on the road. But, overall, this week will mostly be remembered for that biblical storm rather than any racing and that's not what you want for a major summer racing festival that lasts five days. The races after the features were also fairly substandard. Goodwood was more of a grind than glorious this year, sadly. LORD ALLEN STEPS UP… NOW RACING MUST FIGHT ITS CORNER IN THE CORRIDORS OF POWER D-Day arrived and past by with minimal fuss in the end. Lord Charles Allen decided to take up his post as the chairman of the British Horseracing Authority this week. Hopefully, this can provide British racing with the leadership it desperately craves as the fight to 'Axe The Racing Tax' seeps deeper into the British political consciousness. Reform Leader Nigel Farage voiced his support in axing the tax that would see betting on racing align with gaming and casino products from 15 per cent to 21. Reform Leader Nigel Farage at Goodwood this week and backed the 'Axe The Racing Tax' bid Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is also on board but, the last time I checked, it's Labour who are in power and it's people within government that racing must persuade. The BHA have already said a tax would cost the sport up to £66million a year. More independent number crunching has spelt out further dangers to the sport this week if the Treasury press ahead with their plans. This included the revelation that 2,752 jobs are at risk following proposed tax hikes, according to new independent research. It could see industry suffer at least £330m revenue loss in first five years – risking the future of this historic sport. These are devastating numbers and represent a clear and present danger to the future of racing. With Lord Allen, a Labour peer, now in situ, the sport faces a critical few months of lobbying in attempt to stave of this threat. Let's hope it can succeed. The consequences are unfathomable. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK… With the form of equine performances a shade questionable for most races, OISIN MURPHY served up a reminder of his tremendous talent in the saddle with six winners at Goodwood across the week and he wasn't even riding on the West Sussex Downs yesterday! A strike-rate of 1-35 after pleading guilty to drink driving exactly a month ago, a lot were wondering if he needed a break for his own sake after continuing to ride before and after a horrible incident that wasn't handled very well. Some will simply be unable to forgive Murphy after the most serious misdemeanour on his lengthy charge sheet but his talent is never in question. Put simply, he gave a tactical masterclass on the Friday of Goodwood when riding a treble and being one of few jockeys alert enough to utilise the fresh strip of ground and control races from the best position. On idiosyncratic tracks such as Goodwood, good jockeyship is imperative to success and Murphy was the best of the bunch all week.
