Tag Archive for: John Gosden

2025 St Leger Trends

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The St Leger is the oldest of the five British flat racing Classics, as well as the longest in trip at Doncaster racecourse.

Run over a distance of 1m6f and for 3 year-olds only this contest is targeted by horses that ran in that season’s Great Voltigeur, with 9 of the last 22 winners having ran in that York race before winning this, while in recent years with seen 9 winning favourites in the last 22 runnings.

Look out for John Gosden-trained horses as this powerful Newmarket stable has won the race four times in the last 22 years, while top Irish handler – Aidan O’Brien has saddled the winner of the St Leger eight times, including 5 of the last 12 seasons with Leading Light, Capri, Kew Gardens, Continuous and last year with Jan Brueghel.

Also note any Godolphin-owned entries as they these famous blue silks have won the final English Classic of the season a staggering seven times.

Here at GEEGEEZ we've got all the key stats ahead of the 2025 renewal - on Saturday 13th September.

Recent St Leger Winners

2024 - Jan Brueghel (11/4 jfav)
2023 - Continuous (3/1)
2022 – Eldar Eldarov (9/2)
2021 – Hurricane Lane (8/11 fav)
2020 – Galileo Chrome (4/1)
2019 – Logician (5/6 fav)
2018 - Kew Gardens (3/1)
2017 - Capri (3/1 fav)
2016 – Harbour Law (22/1)
2015 – Simple Verse (8/1)
2014 – Kingston Hill (9/4 fav)
2013 – Leading Light (7/2 fav)
2012 – Encke (25/1)
2011 – Masked Marvel (15/2)
2010 – Arctic Cosmos (12/1)
2009 – Mastery (14/1)
2008 – Conduit (8/1)
2007 – Lucarno (7/2)
2006 – Sixties Icon (11/8 fav)
2005 – Scorpion (10/11 fav)
2004 – Rule of Law (3/1 jfav)
2003 – Brian Boru (5/4 fav)
2002 – Bollin Eric (7/1)

Key St Leger Trends

20/23 – Placed in the top 3 last time out
20/23 – Had 2 or 3 previous career wins
20/23 – Had never raced at Doncaster before
19/23 – Placed favourites
19/23 – Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting
18/23 – Had won a Group race before
18/23 – Had won over at least 1m3f before
15/23 – Had 4 or 5 previous runs that season
15/23 – Had never raced over 1m6f or further before
13/23 – Winning distance of 1 length or more
13/23 – Drawn in stall 5 or higher
14/23 – Won last time out
14/23 – Officially rated 109 to 115
10/23 – Winning favourites (2 joint)
9/23 – Ran in the Great Voltigeur last time out (3 won it)
7/23 – Trained by Aidan O’Brien
4/23 – Trained by John Gosden
4/23 – Won by a Godolphin-owned horse (7 wins in total)
4/23 – Ran in the Gordon Stakes last time out (3 won it)
3/23 – Ridden by William Buick
3/23 – Ridden by Ryan Moore
2/23 – Ridden by Andrea Atzeni
2/23 – Winners from stall 1
Godolphin have won the race 7 times
Aidan O’Brien has trained 8 winners of the race
The average winning SP in the last 23 years is 6/1

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Publish rises in class for Ascendant assignment

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The Juddmonte team expect to have a clearer idea of what Publish’s end-of-season target should be after he contests the Betting.Betfair Ascendant Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

A huge eyecatcher when second on his Sandown debut in early July, John and Thady Gosden’s juvenile comfortably went one better on his return three weeks later and was due to step up to Group Three level over the same course and seven-furlong distance in last weekend’s Solario Stakes.

However, heavy rain at the Esher venue last Friday led to the Kingman colt’s withdrawal and he has been rerouted to Merseyside, where he will step up to a mile for the first time at Listed level.

Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager, said: “Hopefully the ground is going to be OK. I haven’t looked too deeply into it, but it looked nice ground there on Thursday, so I’d imagine unless there’s a lot of rain coming in tonight the ground should be OK for him.

“John and Thady seem happy and haven’t mentioned any reservations. I suppose in an ideal world you’d have loved to have gone seven (furlongs) again, but that wasn’t to be and I’m sure he’s a horse that will get a mile no problem in time and hopefully he’s strong enough to be able to do it now.

“I’d say he’s a horse that will have one more run after Saturday and Saturday will determine what race that will be in.”

Publish’s rivals include George Boughey’s impressive Newbury scorer Bow Echo, Karl Burke’s course winner Shayem and Hugo Palmer’s Glacius, who won on his racecourse debut at Newmarket.

A bumper eight-race card gets under way with the Group Three Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile, which features the likes of Make Me King (Hamad Al Jehani), Ice Max (Burke), course-and-distance winner Suite Francaise (Charlie Johnston) and Dylan Cunha’s stable star Prague.

Tom Dascombe saddles Snow Master, who has impressed in winning each of his two starts at Yarmouth but faces a significant rise in class.

“Snow Master is a good horse, he’s done all he can,” said Dascombe.

“He’s won two starts out of two, he’s won them both really easily and it is a bit of a jump from a novice to a Group Three, but he deserves a chance.”

Ombudsman has Ascot in his sights after bypassing Irish Champion date

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Godolphin are putting their faith in “master trainer” John Gosden to pull off an exciting autumn schedule with Ombudsman after the handler ruled this year’s star performer out of a third clash with Delacroix in the Irish Champion Stakes.

The son of Night Of Thunder, who Gosden trains in partnership with son Thady, reversed an agonising defeat in the Coral-Eclipse to level the score with Aidan O’Brien’s leading colt in tremendous fashion in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

That was the Clarehaven inmate’s second big victory of the season after success in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, but he will miss another rematch at Leopardstown after his training team elected to freshen up their star performer ahead of important dates later in the season.

“I spoke to John this (Wednesday) morning and he’s a master trainer and I think the plan he has set out is very much similar to what he had in mind after the win in the Juddmonte International,” Godolphin’s managing director Hugh Anderson told the PA news agency.

“There is no man better able at setting out a challenging campaign for a fabulous racehorse than John and we look forward to hopefully some good results in the autumn.

“He’s been a star this year and Ombudsman and (Kentucky Derby winner) Sovereignty are out of the real top-drawer. Godolphin have had some good horses down the years but to have these two in the same year is really excellent.”

With a trip to Ireland off the table and a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe already ruled out, a return to the scene of his summer high for Ascot’s Qipco Champion Stakes on October 18 now looks the obvious next port of call.

That could bring tantalising trips abroad for both the Breeders’ Cup and Japan Cup into play, with Anderson full of praise for the Gosdens’ excellent management of Ombudsman’s career to date which has yielded six victories from eight starts and those all important Group One triumphs at 10 furlongs.

Hugh Anderson (right) after Ombudsman's win at York
Hugh Anderson (right) after Ombudsman’s win at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I’m not sure if we will be able to get all three of those races in, but those races are certainly what John has in mind,” continued Anderson.

“It’s a classic example of where a trainer will need to watch the weather, watch his horse and work out the best options.

“But what I will say about Ombudsman is the way he has been trained over his career is very much to John and Thady’s credit, with the watchword being patience and that has delivered fantastic results.

“He didn’t race at two and then was very lightly raced at three and he’s hit these huge highs at four. So whatever John thinks is best for him is going to prove to be good for Godolphin.”

Publish ruled out of Solario test at Sandown

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Publish will not line up in Saturday’s BetMGM Solario Stakes at Sandown due to unsuitable ground.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt was due to be one of the headline acts in the Group Three contest after running an eyecatching race on debut at the Esher track, before returning to the same venue three weeks later to break his maiden.

However, with 16 millimetres of rain having fallen at Sandown on Friday morning, the going was changed to soft after the fifth race on the track’s afternoon card, prompting connections to withdraw the likely favourite.

His absence leaves Charlie Appleby’s Pacific Avenue as the new market leader after he inflicted a surprise defeat on stablemate Wild Desert when making a winning debut at Newmarket in June.

Charlie Appleby saddles Pacific Avenue in the Solario Stakes
Charlie Appleby saddles Pacific Avenue in the Solario Stakes (John Walton/PA)

Appleby, who has trained three previous Solario winners, said: “This is a race we have done well in in recent seasons, Pacific Avenue worked nicely on Saturday and the form of his last run has worked out very well.

“The second horse (Wild Desert) came out and was third in the Superlative Stakes and the third, fourth and fifth have come out and won well, so we are going there with a horse that will hopefully be competitive.

“He hasn’t been out since winning his debut in June, but he is in good shape at home and we do feel that the seven furlongs at Sandown will suit him well.

“He is a horse we have always liked and if he could go and hopefully win on Saturday, we could look towards something like a Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere possibly, but that is pie in the sky stuff at the moment and the focus for now is on the Solario.”

Too Darn Hot colt He’s Waliim is an interesting contender for James Tate, turning out 17 days after blitzing his rivals by upwards of six lengths on his introduction at Beverley.

Tate said: “Obviously he was very impressive and he’s a horse we’re excited about, but we’re aware that we are throwing him in at the deep end somewhat, so fingers crossed he can swim.

“His home work had been very smart before Beverley so we were expecting him to win, but they don’t always run up to their homework, so it was nice that he did.

“It’s a field full of unknowns on Saturday and you don’t quite know whether you’re taking on next year’s Guineas winner or a horse that wins the Solario and doesn’t win another Group race, it can vary.

“But we’re happy with our horse, seven furlongs around a bend with a uphill finish and quick-ish ground should suit us down to the ground, so we’ll find out a lot.”

Humidity winning the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot
Humidity winning the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

Other hopefuls include Andrew Balding’s Chesham winner Humidity, who bids to bounce back from a disappointing effort in Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes, and Clive Cox’s A Bit Of Spirit, who has won twice and finished second twice in four starts.

Richard Brown, adviser to Humidity’s owners Wathnan Racing, said: “Andrew seems very happy with him and he said he has worked particularly well since Goodwood.

“I don’t think the track suited him particularly well at Goodwood and I’m hoping Sandown and the stiff seven will be more to his liking as I think he will get further in time.

“This is obviously a very strong renewal, as you would expect, but I think the race will set up much better for him than at Goodwood and he will be hitting the line strong.”

Of A Bit Of Spirit, Cox said: “He’s in very good form. He stepped up to a mile last time at Salisbury in the Stonehenge and was beaten by a very nice horse (Morris Dancer).

“We’ll be very happy to step back to seven furlongs at Sandown, he’s in great nick and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Publish aiming to stamp authority on classy Solario field

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Publish has some big boots to fill when he bids to provide his connections with back-to-back victories in the BetMGM Solario Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.

A huge eyecatcher when second on his debut at the Esher venue in early July, John and Thady Gosden’s juvenile comfortably went one better on his return three weeks later and now faces a step up to Group Three level over the same course and distance this weekend.

The Gosdens and owner-breeders Juddmonte not only teamed up to land the Solario with Publish’s sire Kingman in 2013, but also struck gold with this year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes scorer Field Of Gold 12 months ago, so it is no surprise that hopes for their latest candidate are high.

“The Solario is a race that has had a big roll of honour and Publish is a horse we like. He looked good in his two maidens runs, so we’re looking forward to seeing what way he can step up into Group company in what looks a deep enough renewal,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon.

“He’s had a nice break since his last run and John and Thady picked this route, they’ve used it in the past, so we have to be hopeful that he should be capable of a good run, all being well.”

Gosden senior has saddled a record seven winners of this race in all, with Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Raven’s Pass (2007) and multiple Group One winner Too Darn Hot (2018) also among them.

Field Of Gold winning last year's Solario Stakes
Field Of Gold winning last year’s Solario Stakes (Steven Paston/PA)

Mahon added: “I think it’s John’s go-to race if he has a nice horse and I’m sure if you look back through the years, there’s plenty there that didn’t win too.

“But if he has a nice two-year-old it seems to be his preferred route, so let’s hope he’s good enough to continue the good run.

“As we know October is action-packed for two-year-olds, so we’ll find out whether we’re good enough to compete in one of the big races or whether you have to lower your sights a little bit.”

Charlie Appleby counts subsequent Derby hero Masar (2017) among his three previous Solario winners and is this year represented by Pacific Avenue, who inflicted a surprise defeat on stablemate Wild Desert when making a winning debut at Newmarket in June.

Charlie Appleby saddles Pacific Avenue in the Solario Stakes
Charlie Appleby saddles Pacific Avenue in the Solario Stakes (John Walton/PA)

“This is a race we have done well in in recent seasons, Pacific Avenue worked nicely on Saturday and the form of his last run has worked out very well,” said Appleby.

“The second horse (Wild Desert) came out and was third in the Superlative Stakes and the third, fourth and fifth have come out and won well, so we are going there with a horse that will hopefully be competitive.

“He hasn’t been out since winning his debut in June, but he is in good shape at home and we do feel that the seven furlongs at Sandown will suit him well.

“He is a horse we have always liked and if he could go and hopefully win on Saturday, we could look towards something like a Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere possibly, but that is pie in the sky stuff at the moment and the focus for now is on the Solario.”

Too Darn Hot colt He’s Waliim is an interesting contender for James Tate, turning out 17 days after blitzing his rivals by upwards of six lengths on his introduction at Beverley.

Tate said: “Obviously he was very impressive and he’s a horse we’re excited about, but we’re aware that we are throwing him in at the deep end somewhat, so fingers crossed he can swim.

“His home work had been very smart before Beverley so we were expecting him to win, but they don’t always run up to their homework, so it was nice that he did.

“It’s a field full of unknowns on Saturday and you don’t quite know whether you’re taking on next year’s Guineas winner or a horse that wins the Solario and doesn’t win another Group race, it can vary.

“But we’re happy with our horse, seven furlongs around a bend with a uphill finish and quick-ish ground should suit us down to the ground, so we’ll find out a lot.”

Humidity winning the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot
Humidity winning the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

Other hopefuls include Andrew Balding’s Chesham winner Humidity, who bids to bounce back from a disappointing effort in Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes, and Clive Cox’s A Bit Of Spirit, who has won twice and finished second twice in four starts.

Richard Brown, adviser to Humidity’s owners Wathnan Racing, said: “Andrew seems very happy with him and he said he has worked particularly well since Goodwood.

“I don’t think the track suited him particularly well at Goodwood and I’m hoping Sandown and the stiff seven will be more to his liking as I think he will get further in time.

“This is obviously a very strong renewal, as you would expect, but I think the race will set up much better for him than at Goodwood and he will be hitting the line strong.”

Of A Bit Of Spirit, Cox said: “He’s in very good form. He stepped up to a mile last time at Salisbury in the Stonehenge and was beaten by a very nice horse (Morris Dancer).

“We’ll be very happy to step back to seven furlongs at Sandown, he’s in great nick and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Champions Day the target for Field Of Gold return

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Field Of Gold has stepped up his recovery from the injury he suffered at Goodwood last month, with connections targeting the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot as the stage for his return.

Narrowly beaten in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, John and Thady Gosden’s Juddmonte-owned grey looked set to dominate the mile division after scintillating victories in both the Irish Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He was long odds-on to complete the same Group One hat-trick achieved by his brilliant sire Kingman in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes in late July, but finished a disappointing fourth behind his pacemaker Qirat, who caused the shock of the season with a 150-1 success.

Field Of Gold in the parade ring before the Sussex Stakes
Field Of Gold in the parade ring before the Sussex Stakes (Andrew Matthews/PA)

It soon transpired Field Of Gold had suffered a significant joint injury and he required some time on the sidelines, but having now returned to full work an outing on Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot appears to be firmly on the agenda.

“He’s on the road to recovery, John is very happy with him and he’s cantering every day,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon.

“He’s not done any fast work and he’s probably heading towards Champions Day, I would imagine. Hopefully the ground isn’t too soft and that’s where we’ll see him next.

“The Prix du Moulin and the Irish Champion Stakes are obviously coming too soon because he hasn’t done any fast work since the Sussex, but he’s doing steady canters, he’s sound and the joint has tightened up well and the team are very happy with his well-being.

“The fact that we’re not going to have him ready to run in September, there’s no point in rushing, so we’ll take our time and wait for Ascot – the QEII looks the most obvious race for him.”

Jonquil got back to winning ways at Goodwood
Jonquil got back to winning ways at Goodwood (Steven Paston/PA)

The Juddmonte team have yet to finalise plans for another high-class three-year-old colt in Jonquil, who bounced back to winning ways in the Group Two Celebration Mile at Goodwood last weekend, but his preference for a sound surface could mean he will be getting his passport stamped.

Mahon added: “He’s won a Group Two, options are very limited and we may have to go on our travels because he wants fast ground.

“We just haven’t mapped out a plan for him with the owners yet, but we’ll do that in the next few days.”

Publish in line for what could prove highly-informative Solario Stakes

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Publish is on course to return to the familiar territory of Sandown after he stood out among a stellar set of names entered for the BetMGM Solario Stakes on Saturday.

The son of Kingman was edged out on debut at the Esher track in July, but soon set the second straight when impressing back at Sandown later that month and heads into this Group Three event with his star firmly on the rise.

John and Thady Gosden’s colt is already as short as 10-1 in places for next year’s 2000 Guineas and could now follow in the footsteps of both his father and Clarehaven stablemate Field Of Gold by claiming the Solario.

Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said: “This was the initial plan and hopefully that remains the same so we will look forward to seeing him again.

“He’s a beautiful horse, a very big horse and he’s probably more of a three-year-old type. John and Thady have both said he’s not a horse to over-race this year, he’s all about next year.

“He could be exciting, I know he has only won a maiden but we’re hopeful he is able to make the jump into the next grade.”

It was one of Charlie Appleby’s string that denied Publish on debut and the Moulton Paddocks handler could unleash stylish Newmarket novice winner Pacific Avenue in a race he won with subsequent Derby hero Masar in 2017).

Other notables in the 11-strong possibles list include Andrew Balding’s Chesham winner Humidity and the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Zanthos.

The latter, a daughter of Sioux Nation, cost €1million at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year and it was easy to see why as she scorched to a three-length victory in her July course debut.

She could now be a rare filly to take on the colts in this race, as her team search for the right opportunity to set up high-ranking events later in the season.

“She’s super well and we still haven’t quite figured out what we’re doing with her yet,” said Ed Crisford.

“The fillies’ races at the Curragh (Debutante Stakes) and Goodwood (Prestige Stakes) came a bit quick for her and it would have been bringing her back just two weeks later.

“We’re happy to enter in the Solario against the colts and then see what we think and there’s also novice options.

“We want to run her again before the Rockfel if we can and we just need to take it step by step.”

Trawlerman digs deep for Lonsdale Cup glory

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Trawlerman confirmed himself as the standout performer in the staying division in the Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes at York.

John and Thady Gosden’s seven-year-old won the Ebor on the Knavesmire three years ago and remained unbeaten on home soil this season with a performance that may have been less conclusive than his Gold Cup romp, but equally impressive in the manner in which he professionally repelled his rivals.

Unable to get his own way at the front this time with Aidan O’Brien’s Shackleton alongside throughout the majority of the early exchanges, William Buick pushed his mount along entering the home straight and asked for him to showcase the stamina that is his forte.

Unlike at Royal Ascot when the 5-6 favourite left his rivals trailing, they were queuing up in his slipstream this time around but Trawlerman showed his relentless staying power to gallop on to the line and lead home a Clarehaven one-two, with well-backed stablemate Sweet William a length and a quarter adrift in second.

Trawlerman was made the 6-4 favourite from 2-1 with Coral for the Qipco Long Distance Cup at Ascot on British Champions Day, with his handler suggesting that would be his next target.

John Gosden said: “The two of them have come away and they are proper, proper staying horses.

“One is seven and the other is six, and they are a lot of fun because staying races are an important part of our programme, so it’s lovely to see him come from the Gold Cup to win the Lonsdale.

“We will freshen him up now and all being well, he will run one more time this year at Ascot on Champions Day.

“The horses tell you if you listen to them, if you force them, it never works. We are delighted with them both and to see the quality of that, it’s a long straight here and it was a proper old battle between the pair of them.

“It will be Doncaster (for Sweet William) all being well.

“He’s (Trawlerman) getting on, and you have to respect his age.

“They tell you how to train, the older they get, they get a little wiser than the trainer, so you listen to them and they tell you.”

Al Nayyir delighted trainer Tom Clover in finishing third, beaten a total of five and a half lengths

He said: “He ran a lovely race, they didn’t go overly hard but he was able to pick up nicely.

“I think now, with the age he is, he might just appreciate a little more cut in the ground but that said, we’ve given them a good race and we’re thrilled with our boy.

“He deserves to pick up a Group race at some point and hopefully he can do that soon.

“Doncaster might come a touch soon for him, we’ll have to see how he is, otherwise there’s the Listed Rose Bowl at Newmarket.”

Field Of Gold pleasing Gosden with setback recovery

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John Gosden has issued an upbeat bulletin on Field Of Gold after the dual Group One winner picked up an injury in his Sussex Stakes defeat at Goodwood.

The colt’s co-trainer is hopeful he will run again this season, with an autumn comeback in mind.

“The good news is he’s come sound. There was considerable filling there, but that itself has diminished now,” he told the Nick Luck Daily podcast.

“We’re gingerly finding our way forward again with some trotting and we may possibly be able to do an easy canter next week.

“It’s one step at a time, it was certainly a significant enough injury, it’s looking like it was a bad wrench of the joint. The filling the next morning was considerable and he was quite lame on it, but fortunately two sets of X-rays and an ultrasound scan have come back clean.

“We put it down to him wrenching a joint in the race as it was noticeable that he didn’t quite level off properly, he was lugging right which means he was trying to keep the weight off it.

“We’ll see what we have in store for him in the future, we won’t be rushing back to any races right now.”

He added: “Very much so, that (autumn) would be the aim. He’s got a great mind on him and from that point of view he’s a pleasure to train.”

Field Of Gold to miss International assignment at York

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Field Of Gold will bypass York’s Juddmonte International Stakes as he continues his recovery from the setback sustained when suffering a shock defeat at Goodwood last week.

John and Thady Gosden’s Irish 2,000 Guineas and Royal Ascot hero was discovered to be lame after tasting defeat for just the second time this season in the Sussex Stakes and although there are encouraging signs in his recuperation, a step up to 10 furlongs on the Knavesmire has been ruled out by his team.

The son of Kingman will undergo X-rays on Wednesday which will give a clearer indication of the prognosis, with Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon saying: “The horse is doing well and was back sound, which is good.

Field Of Gold on his way to post at Goodwood
Field Of Gold on his way to post at Goodwood (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“He’s got a little bit of swelling in his fetlock but John and Thady are much happier with him so the plan is to do the X-ray on Wednesday – they’ve just pushed it back a day, as the longer you can leave it, the clearer the picture is.

“That will give us some more insight and if the X-ray is clear, we can hopefully start back into some light exercise towards the end of the week or early next week.

“York though is definitely not going to happen at this stage.”

Having dazzled when claiming Classic honours in Ireland and scorching to St James’s Palace Stakes victory at the Royal meeting, there has been plenty of conversation over whether Field Of Gold will try to repeat those heroics up in trip or continue to be the stand out performer of the year at eight furlongs.

The Juddmonte star holds entries in both the Prix du Moulin (ParisLongchamp, September 7) and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Ascot, October 18) at a mile later in the campaign, while he could yet test the waters up in distance in Leopardstown’s Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes on September 13.

Field Of Gold dazzled in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot
Field Of Gold dazzled in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

However, the colt’s name was notably missing from the entries for the Qipco Champion Stakes over further on the same afternoon as his engagement in the QEII, with race planning currently taking a backseat until one of the season’s top performers returns to full fitness.

Mahon added: “It was the plan pre-Goodwood to stick at a mile for the time being and obviously there has been no chat about potential races since Goodwood, we’re just going to have to let the dust settle and let him get back into exercise and then when he is fit make a plan from there.

“You are getting into that time of year when there is not an abundance of opportunities and there is the Moulin, QEII or you go up to a mile and a quarter for the races at that distance.

“So I wouldn’t say there is a huge amount of options, but we’ll just wait and see and let the horse tell us.”

While the Gosdens might not have Field Of Gold in the Juddmonte International, they still have a very strong contender in Ombudsman.

Ombudsman impressed in the Price of Wales's Stakes
Ombudsman impressed in the Price of Wales’s Stakes (David Davies/PA)

“He won the Prince of Wales’s first time in a Group One and showed he’s up to that level. The Eclipse, again he ran a very good race, beaten by a top-class three-year-old (Delacroix) coming through,” said Thady Gosden.

“He’s come out of that race well, had a little freshen up and (is) heading to the Juddmonte International hopefully.

“He’s such a genuine horse, has got the speed required and hopefully can run a good one there.

“It’s a career-defining race for a lot of horses. If you win the Juddmonte International it certainly means a lot – depth of the field and the quality to it. And then, of course, York’s a very fair track; so often the best horse wins and it’s something that everyone aspires to.”

Field Of Gold found to be lame after Sussex Stakes disappointment

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Plans are on ice for Field Of Gold after the Classic and Royal Ascot hero was discovered to be lame following his below-par display in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

John and Thady Gosden’s star three-year-old was sent off the 1-3 favourite to emulate his sire Kingman and thrive against his elders on the Sussex Downs, but could only finish fourth as his Juddmonte-owned pacemaker Qirat caused a seismic shock at 150-1.

The Clarehaven training team suggested the “engine wasn’t there” in the immediate aftermath of the contest and now a potential reason for his disappointing performance could have been found.

“We don’t have the full picture yet, but he is lame on his left-hind,” Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte, told the PA news agency.

“John called me this morning at 7am and said he was ‘off’ behind with a bit of swelling in his leg and the vet is due out to see him later today so until we have the full picture we can’t fully diagnose it.

“But the fact he is lame suggests that could potentially be why we didn’t see the true horse that we know yesterday. We just have to sit tight now until the vet can run through all the tests he can run through.”

With the severity of Field Of Gold’s setback still to be determined, it is unknown at this stage when one of the standout performers of the 2025 season will be next seen in competitive action.

Field Of Gold at Goodwood
Field Of Gold at Goodwood (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Mahon continued: “Plans are on ice and the thing with these things is, it might be a week before anything will show up on an X-ray or whatever, so it’s not something you will have an answer for straight away.

“But the fact the horse is lame indicates there is an issue and we have to address that. What that is and whether it will be a short fix or a long fix, we just don’t know at this stage.”

Despite Field Of Gold’s surprise reversal, there was still plenty of joy for the Juddmonte team with Ralph Beckett’s Qirat stealing the spotlight, with Mahon reflecting on a race of contrasting fortunes.

He added: “It was disappointing from a Field Of Gold point of view, but from a Juddmonte point of view the winner is a home bred and won it in good style and there has to be some satisfaction in that.

“As someone said to me yesterday, it was bittersweet but there was still plenty of sweet.”

Gosdens lament Field Of Gold’s lacklustre Sussex run

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John and Thady Gosden made no excuses for Field Of Gold after he was well-beaten in a renewal of the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood that few could have foreseen.

The Juddmonte-owned grey was the 1-3 favourite as he came into the race having won both Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes this season, so was bidding for a Group One hat-trick with a new rider in the saddle as William Buick replaced the suspended Colin Keane.

Juddmonte’s second-string, the Ralph Beckett-trained Qirat, was the mount of Richard Kingscote and employed as a pacemaker, albeit a useful one, as was Aidan O’Brien’s Serengeti, who looked set to lead stablemate Henri Matisse into the race.

Those two did indeed settle into the lead, but as the race developed it became apparent that the favourite could not close the gap and he finished an eventual fourth when three and three-quarter lengths behind 150-1 winner Qirat.

John Gosden told ITV Racing: “He’s done nothing wrong and actually the other pacemaker (Serengeti) got left (at the start), he comes round and finally they are going a pace. We are sitting a long way behind, that’s life and the pacemaker goes and wins it.

“If you let them have those fractions they will do it, he ran on but he didn’t seem to be balanced on the track, it’s a different type of track to what he has ever run on and he just got a little unbalanced coming out of the dip into the bend. I’m not making any excuses, you ignore the pacemaker and pay the price.

“He ran a huge race in the Guineas (when runner-up at Newmarket) and was flying at the finish, but he was not flying at the finish so there’s a very big difference. He wasn’t at his best so we will have to see why. He is having a normal blow so we will have a good look.

“William said as soon as he asked him the engine wasn’t there, simple as that. He would have run on to be up there with Rosallion, but he didn’t fire today.”

Thady Gosden added: “Congratulations to Ralph and Juddmonte of course for winning, but obviously it was a messy race and I think we can put a line through it.

“We saw he quickened up well but it was too late on, Rosallion was in a good position in front of us and he didn’t quite get there as they’d got a bit of rope in front.

“Hopefully he comes out of it OK, we know how talented he is and today wasn’t a true reflection of his ability. We’ll move on.

“We could see what was unfolding for us a mile out, but obviously it is great for Juddmonte to have a home bred winner.”

Richard Hannon’s 11-2 shot Rosallion was the runner-up under Sean Levey, beaten a neck after giving chase to the runaway Qirat.

Hannon said: “It’s pride, not frustration, but what does he have to do to win?

“Sean did the right thing and moved closer to the pacemakers, and he’s run a super race but didn’t win. It’s life, isn’t it?

“He’s a great horse, his day has already come and there are other days to come. He’s certainly not done with.

“He’s beaten the best three-year-old we’ve seen for years and also the French Guineas winner (Henri Matisse).

“It’s not a great day when you are second in these races but we are very lucky to be part of it. We have an extremely good horse and he went down fighting.”

Henri Matisse, also an 11-2 chance, was third under Ryan Moore when beaten two and a half lengths, with stablemate Serengeti eventually last of the seven runners.

O’Brien said: “Obviously (Serengeti) was there to make sure it was an even gallop and he missed the break, so Wayne (Lordan) had to let him relax and give him a chance.

“He came round the field wide and then when he joined up with the other pacemaker, the winner, he pulled back off and so Wayne was left making the running, but well done to everyone.

“We are very happy with Henri Matisse. We think we haven’t got him really right yet, but we think we are getting there. Every time he runs we are learning more, and we were happy with him here other than he didn’t win, obviously.

“Sean’s (Levey) horse (Rosallion) just came down the outside of him and took a couple of lengths out of him quickly, Ryan just said that coming down the hill at Goodwood it just took him a little time to get organised as he’s a baby three-year-old. He felt he wasn’t finished with and there’s more to come.

“We think he’s a miler, but Ryan thinks he’ll stay further. We’ll see how he is but he could go back to France for the mile races and could end up in America for their mile races, or he could go up in trip, although we’ve never thought he was short of pace.”

Field sights set on Sussex gold

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Field Of Gold bids to continue his sensational summer when he meets his elders for the first time in the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes.

Narrowly denied Classic glory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, John and Thady Gosden’s grey has made no mistake in two subsequent starts, demonstrating his dazzling acceleration in both the Irish Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

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.

“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.

Henri Matisse takes on Field Of Gold again
Henri Matisse takes on Field Of Gold again (Brian Lawless/PA)

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.

Sean Levey aboard Rosallion after winning at Royal Ascot last year
Sean Levey aboard Rosallion after winning at Royal Ascot last year (John Walton/PA)

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.”

Morris Dancer one step shy of Vintage victory

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John and Thady Gosden’s Morris Dancer took a significant stride forward when narrowly beaten in the Coral Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

The Godolphin-owned son of Palace Pier was a winner when last seen in a Haydock novice, but with rivals proven at Group level, he was a 22-1 shot under William Buick.

Those odds meant little to him as he chased home Eve Johnson Houghton’s Zavateri, missing out by just a short head on the line.

John Gosden said: “We are thrilled with him, he has run a great race. He won at Haydock and then just had a little niggle and cough. So we backed off and he has come here off the minimum work and run a great race.

“That’s the July Stakes form, with the winner by an old friend of ours in Without Parole. Morris Dancer is by Palace Pier so it is nice to see your old pals in Group Two races like this.

“William said don’t be frightened to step up to a mile with him and we will do that somewhere.”

Ed Walker is not inclined to lower the sights of Do Or Do Not after his third-placed run under Tom Marquand, the latest in a string of placings in highly-competitive races.

“He’s a star, isn’t he? He just doesn’t know how to win yet, annoyingly!” said Walker.

“I actually thought today he was coming in to win but it was just greenness and whatever you want to call it, he was wandering around a little bit. He seems to find a way of not winning, which is frustrating.

“I think we’ll go for something easier but I don’t think we need to go for a maiden or a novice. The horse who was second in the Chesham (Thesecretadversary) was then beaten at 2-13 in one, it happens.

“There’s nothing to gain, he doesn’t need to win a maiden or a novice.

“He is a really solid horse and we are throwing the kitchen sink at him. He keeps answering. We might just try to find a slightly lower race – not a maiden because there isn’t any point – to give him some confidence.”

Illinois expected to thrive over Goodwood Cup trip

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Illinois and Scandinavia give Aidan O’Brien a strong hand in his bid for a fifth victory in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on Tuesday.

The Ballydoyle handler saddled the brilliant Yeats to land the Group One contest in both 2006 and 2008, a feat repeated by his latest superstar stayer Kyprios, who struck gold in 2022 before regaining his crown 12 months ago.

Following the latter’s retirement, Illinois was drafted into the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and performed admirably to finish best of the rest behind the front-running Trawlerman – and with the latter not in attendance, the four-year-old is favourite to go one better on the Sussex Downs.

O’Brien said: “He ran well in the Gold Cup and we’re looking forward to this, obviously it’s a shorter trip than Ascot.

“We thought this would be a nice third race back for him this year and we’ve been very happy with him since Ascot.”

Connections have a major second string to their bow in the form of Scandinavia, a dominant winner of the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket three weeks ago and as the sole three-year-old in the field, he is in receipt of a stone in weight from Illinois and the rest of his rivals.

“He was good in Newmarket and he seems in good form. Obviously he’s only a baby, but he liked the extra distance in Newmarket the last day and seems to have come out of the race well,” O’Brien added.

Sweet William won the Summer Handicap in 2023
Sweet William won the Summer Handicap at Goodwood in 2023 (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Despite deciding against running Trawlerman, John and Thady Gosden are well represented, with Gold Cup fourth Sweet William joined by French Master and Military Academy.

French Master claimed his fourth win from six career starts in the Copper Horse Stakes at the Royal meeting and now tests the water over two miles on a track where he has been successful before.

John Gosden said: “Sweet William has been in very good form. He broke well in the Gold Cup, it was a tough race and in the end the two and a half (miles) was a little too far for him – he’s a two-mile to two-and-a-quarter-mile horse, but he ran a brave race.

“He’s in very good form and he knows Goodwood well, so back we go again.”

French Master will dip his toe in Group company for the first time
French Master will dip his toe in Group company for the first time (John Walton/PA)

Of French Master, the trainer added: “I think he’s a horse who will rise to the occasion. He won in good style (at Royal Ascot), but he’s going from a handicap to a completely open Group One.

“We’re hopeful he’ll run a good race and we’re very much looking forward to running him and seeing the jump in class. If he doesn’t handle it, we can regroup.”

Saeed bin Suroor
Saeed bin Suroor (John Walton/PA)

Another who appears better suited to the drop in trip will be Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Future, who split Illinois and Sweet William when third in the Gold Cup.

Bin Suroor said: “Dubai Future worked well on Thursday and heads to Goodwood in good order.

“He ran a good race in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, but two miles suits him better, as he showed in the Dubai Gold Cup.

“He has done very well this year and I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on.”