With racing there is always a little history involved. One of the few top races John Gosden has never won as a trainer is the one-mile 2,000 Guineas, and many of us hoped that after a scintillating performance in the Craven Stakes his Field of Gold was going to fill the most significant hole in his trophy cabinet. That eye-catching run had ensured that, like his Gosden-trained sire Kingman, Field of Gold started favourite. Sadly, just like his sire, he finished half a length second in the Guineas last Saturday, narrowly failing to catch the Charlie Appleby-trained winner Ruling Court.
Gosden doesn’t do sour grapes and few would contest his post-race comment: ‘The winner has kicked and gone and we ran out of racetrack. Given another 25 yards, it would have been ours.’ So was it jockey error? Not for me. Kieran Shoemark, who had a miserable time with the armchair critics last year on succeeding Frankie Dettori as the Gosden stable jockey, rode exactly the same race he had done in the Craven, settled at the back and coming with a late run. Unfortunately for Kieran, Field of Gold was just that fraction slower than Ruling Court under William Buick in picking up when the two riders asked their mounts for maximum revs. There is a temporary hole in my bank balance but I can’t wait to see the pair clash again – and see the imposing grey Field of Gold when Team Gosden reckons he is strong enough to tackle ten furlongs.
At this time of year I try to offer Turf readers a dozen horses worth following through the season, not all Classic contenders or potential world-beaters, but those who will hopefully be seen on a few Saturday cards and contesting handicaps at festivals like Ascot and Goodwood.
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