Field Of Gold shot to the head of the betting for the Betfred 2000 Guineas with a dazzling display in the bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket.
John and Thady Gosden’s son of Kingman had shaped with real promise as a two-year-old, winning the Group Three Solario Stakes before finishing the year competing in Group One company.
Putting his Classic credentials to the test on his first start at three, he was sent off the 100-30 favourite in the hands of Kieran Shoemark who rode the strapping grey with supreme confidence.
Exiting the famous Rowley Mile dip, Shoemark just had to pause his challenge momentarily, but soon slipped his mount into top gear as he surged past the likes of eventual second Wimbledon Hawkeye and third-placed Aomori City for the most impressive of victories.
He returned a three-and-a-half-length verdict over James Owen’s Wimbledon Hawkeye, as Gosden senior – who has so far never won the 2000 Guineas – picked up the Craven for the first time since 1993.
Field Of Gold was made Paddy Power’s 11-4 favourite to do what his illustrious sire could not manage and claim the opening Classic of the year, with the colt’s success also strengthening the hand of owners Juddmonte after the Greenham triumph of Andrew Balding’s Jonquil and the win of Harry Charlton’s Cosmic Year over the past week.
Gosden said: “Strangely enough, despite the stalls being down the middle they brought the race over to the stands rail and immediately you’re down on the rail with about eight horses in front of you. Kieran has done the right thing, he had enough horse and got out.
“He’s had a good blow, this is a trial, it’s not the Guineas and you’re not fully wound up for this. The race puts them where you want them, that’s the idea of the trials.
“I think he’ll get a mile and a quarter, I don’t seem him getting a mile and a half. One day he might be good enough to run in a race like the Eclipse, we’ll see, but I see him more on that trajectory than the other (Derby).
“He showed a lot of speed today. I probably haven’t had a colt win a Guineas trial like that before, he did it in splendid style.”
On potentially winning his first 2000 Guineas, he said: “It would be nice, but it’s not something you necessarily worry about – I don’t think about it at all.
“I suppose Kingman was slightly unfortunate, he went four lengths clear and thought he’d done enough and got caught late by a very good horse called Night Of Thunder who became a top stallion.
“It’s lovely to have a horse going for the Guineas and it’s great for Juddmonte because they have both the winner of the Greenham and this, so they’re double-handed if they want to be.”
Winning rider Shoemark added: “He’s a very exciting horse to look forward to this year. He got me out of trouble, but I had so much horse underneath me. He’s got an incredible amount of ability. He’s pretty special.”
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