Field Of Gold is long odds-on to enhance his fine record in today’s Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
The Juddmonte-owned grey, trained by John and Thady Gosden, will be ridden by William Buick for the first time as the owners’ new retained rider Colin Keane is suspended, while Ralph Beckett’s Qirat also runs in the same silks under Richard Kingscote.
The main danger according to the betting is Richard Hannon’s star four-year-old Rosallion, who narrowly failed to beat outsider Docklands – who reopposes – in last month’s Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Rosallion’s regular rider Sean Levey said on Monday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “It’s one of those things, last year when he was winning his Group 1s I always thought he’d be better suited to a bit more pace when you could really see what he had under the hood.
“On the back of a mishap and a long time off the track, we didn’t see that in the Lockinge, we’ve seen a little bit of it in Ascot the time after, and there’s definitely that little bit extra there.
“Every time he’s run in a Group 1 it has been very tactical, there’s always been a lack of pace. What he has been doing is mostly what good horses are supposed to do, finding that good turn of foot over that trip. I’m just hoping and waiting for that race that suits him perfectly so he can show exactly what his engine is capable of.
“(A strong pace) suits good horses doesn’t it? I’m hoping with that injection of pace you’ll see a good horse and that’s exactly what he is.”
Queen Anne sixth Carl Spackler also lines up again for Ciaron Maher, while the two other runners are provided by Aidan O’Brien, with Ryan Moore on Henri Mattise, who finished three and a half lengths adrift of Field Of Gold in the St James’s Palace Stakes, and 200/1 outsider Serengeti (Wayne Lordan).
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