Fine Form
Field Of Gold SN – 3.00
can get his campaign off to a winning start in a fascinating renewal of the bet365 Mile at Sandown.
The Kingman colt enjoyed a fantastic first half to his three-year-old campaign last season, winning the Craven Stakes, the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, with a slightly unfortunate defeat in the Guineas at Newmarket sandwiched in the middle.
He was found to be lame after suffering a shock defeat in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and while he won his race against time to be back for the QEII at Ascot on Champions Day, he again underperformed.
Field Of Gold faces a far from straightforward task as he bids to restore his reputation on his reappearance, with the unbeaten Zeus Olympios and Group One winner Opera Ballo among his rivals, but he does receive weight from the pair and the excellent recent form of John and Thady Gosden’s string breeds confidence that this top-class grey can return with a bang.
The Clarehaven team are also expected to claim victory in the preceding bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes with
Devil’s Advocate SN – 2.25
The four-year-old will line up in the Group Three contest with a race fitness advantage over the majority of his opponents, having finished second to the exciting Gethin in the Listed Magnolia Stakes at Kempton two and a half weeks ago.
That was probably a career-best performance from Devil’s Advocate and if he can reproduce it back on turf he should be heavily involved.
The third and final Group race on the card is the bet365 Classic Trial, in which Aidan O’Brien’s
Action SN – 3.35
sets a lofty standard.
Winner of a Galway Festival maiden last summer, the son of Frankel went on to finish third behind 2000 Guineas favourite Bow Echo in the Royal Lodge at Newmarket before finishing a half-length second to stablemate Hawk Mountain in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
Runners from this stable do tend to improve for their comeback runs, but Action has a lot in hand on official ratings and is expected to be ready enough.
Doncaster punters are advised to side with Richard Hannon’s
Bunyola Bay DO – 2.50
in the Natural Innovation Novice Stakes.
This Ghaiyyath colt was a warm order for his Newbury debut in the autumn and while favourite backers were ultimately left counting their losses, he offered plenty of hope for the future in finishing third.
The winner of that race, Needle Match, was not beaten far when fourth in the Greenham at Newbury last weekend, so the form looks solid enough and Bunyola Bay ought to go well if fit enough to do himself justice on his seasonal debut.
The QuinnBet Highland National Handicap Chase is the feature race on the third and final day of the Perth Festival and the vote goes to the Christian Williams-trained Welsh raider
Fever Dream PE – 2.05
After some decent efforts in defeat, the eight-year-old regained the winning thread with a dominant display at Warwick last month and an 8lb rise might not be enough to prevent him from following up at a track where he has won before.
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