Tag Archive for: John Gosden

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.”

2025 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Betting Trends

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Staged at Ascot racecourse, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is run over a distance of 1m4f and is generally regarded as Britain’s most prestigious all-aged flat horse race.

With over £600,000 up for grabs for the winner the it goes without saying the race always attracts horses from the best yards around the country with Sir Michael Stoute and Saeed Bin Suroor, who have won the King George six and five times, are the trainers with the best recent record in the contest.

While the powerful Aidan O’Brien yard have won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes four times. Don’t forget the John Gosden yard either – they’ve won the race 3 times in the last 9 years.

In 2023, we saw the Owen Burrows-trained Hukum win the race in a tight battle with Westover. Hukum became only the third 6 year-old win win the King George since 1951.

While last year in 2024 we had a 25/1 shock win with the French-trained Goliath winning for the Graffard team.

Here at GeeGeez, we take a look back at the recent winners of the race and gives you the key trends to look out for ahead of the 2025 renewal – this year run on Saturday 26th July.

Recent King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Winners

2024 - Goliath (25/1)
2023 - Hukum (13/2)
2022 – Pyledriver (18/1)
2021 - Adayar (9/4)
2020 – Enable (4/9 fav)
2019 – Enable (8/15 fav)
2018 – Poet’s Word (7/4)
2017 – Enable (5/4 fav)
2016 – Highland Reel (13/8 fav)
2015 – Postponed (6/1)
2014 – Taghrooda (7/2)
2013 – Novellist (13/2)
2012 – Danedream (9/1)
2011 – Nathaniel (11/2)
2010 – Harbinger (4/1)
2009 – Conduit (13/8 fav)
2008 – Duke of Marmalade (4/6 fav)
2007 – Dylan Thomas (5/4 fav)
2006 – Hurricane Run (5/6 fav)
2005 – Azamour (5/2 fav)
2004 – Doyen (11/10 fav)
2003 – Alamshar (13/2)
2002 – Golan (11/2)

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Trends

22/23 – Previous Group 1 or 2 winners
21/23 – Had won over 1m4f before
20/23 – Placed last time out
19/23 – Had 2 or more runs already that season
18/23 – Returned 13/2 or shorter in the betting
18/23 – Previous Group 1 winner
18/23 – Aged 3 or 4 years-old
14/23 – Had run Ascot before
13/23 – Won their previous race
13/23 – Aged 4 years-old
10/23 – Favourites that won
10/23 – Won at Ascot before
9/23 – Ran at Royal Ascot last time out
5/23 – Trained by John Gosden
3/23 – Trained by Aidan O’Brien
8 of the last 14 winners from stalls 3 or 4
No winner aged 7+ ever (since race first run 1951)
No winner from stall 1 since 1999 (Daylami)
Just three 6+ year-old winners since 1951
Frankie Dettori has ridden the winner in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2017, 2019 and 2020
2 of the last 10 winners were that season’s Epsom Oaks winner
Just 1 French-trained winner since 2007 (Goliath 2024)
Adayar (2021) and Galileo (2001) were the last horses to do the Derby/King George double in the same season
Trainer John Gosden won the race in 2011, 2014, 2017, 2019 & 2020
Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor won the race in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 & 2004
Trainer Aidan O’Brien won the race in 2001, 2007, 2008 & 2016
The average winning SP in the last 10 runnings is 13/2

 

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Field Of Gold headlines 11 possibles for Sussex test

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Field Of Gold is the undoubted star attraction among 11 confirmations for the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday.

John and Thady Gosden’s latest superstar colt has followed an almost identical path to his brilliant sire Kingman so far this season, with a narrow defeat in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket followed by devastating victories in the Irish Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Kingman took on and beat his elders for the first time in the 2014 Sussex Stakes and Field Of Gold is a 4-9 favourite with Coral to follow suit in the hands of William Buick, who is set to deputise in the saddle for the suspended Colin Keane.

The Gosdens and owners Juddmonte have also confirmed Lockinge hero Lead Artist and while he is not expected to take on his stablemate, Juddmonte are set to field a second runner and a potential pacemaker for Field Of Gold in the form of Qirat, who has been supplemented at a cost of £70,000.

Field Of Gold is one of five three-year-olds still in contention, with the other four all trained by Aidan O’Brien. The Ballydoyle handler has left in the French Guineas winner Henri Matisse, who was second to Field Of Gold at Royal Ascot, as well as Serengeti, The Lion In Winter and Exactly from his Classic crop, while he could also call upon talented older miler Diego Velazquez.

Docklands (left) repels Rosallion at Royal Ascot
Docklands (left) repels Rosallion at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

The Harry Eustace-trained Docklands and Richard Hannon’s Rosallion look set to renew rivalry after finishing first and second with only a nose between them in the Queen Anne last month.

The potential line-up is completed by Carl Spackler, who was a multiple Grade One winner in America for Chad Brown but was beaten into sixth place on his first start for leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher in the Queen Anne.

William Buick booked for Field Of Gold at Goodwood

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William Buick will ride Field Of Gold in next week’s Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Narrowly beaten in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket when partnered by Kieran Shoemark, John and Thady Gosden’s three-year-old has made no mistake in two subsequent starts under Juddmonte’s retained rider Colin Keane, emulating his sire Kingman with brilliant victories in both the Irish Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

With Keane currently serving a suspension after contravening the whip rules, connections needed to secure a new pilot for Field Of Gold’s next appearance – and having revealed Buick was “on the list” of potential riders two weeks ago, he has now been confirmed for the high-profile mount.

Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager, told the PA news agency: “I think John and Thady were to talk to William yesterday to confirm his availability and it sounds like they’ve done that and he’s free to ride him, so I’d say that’s the plan.

“In fairness, until you get to within a week of the event you don’t know what other trainers and jockeys are doing, but obviously William has been able to commit now which is good.

“He’s a top-class rider and rode a Group One winner for us last October on board Kalpana, so it’s good to have him on board.”

Field Of Gold is set to head a quality Juddmonte team bound for the Sussex Downs, with fellow three-year-olds Cosmic Year and Jonquil also poised for action.

Jonquil (left) winning the Greenham Stakes at Newbury
Jonquil (left) winning the Greenham Stakes at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

The Harry Charlton-trained Cosmic Year was second to Field Of Gold in the Irish 2,000 Guineas before failing to fire in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, while Andrew Balding’s Greenham Stakes winner and French Guineas runner-up Jonquil will step back up in trip after finding the six furlongs of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot too sharp.

Field Of Gold’s Lockinge-winning stablemate Lead Artist meanwhile holds a Sussex Stakes entry, but appears unlikely to be on the Goodwood squad.

“I’d say Cosmic Year will run in the Thoroughbred Stakes, the Group Three over a mile, at the minute that’s the plan,” Mahon added.

“Jonquil worked nicely this morning and he’s a probable to run in the Lennox over seven (furlongs).

“Lead Artist is in the Sussex, but I’d say he’s more likely to wait. He won’t run against Field Of Gold I’d imagine, so I’m not sure what the plans are for him at this stage.”

Field Of Gold ‘in great order’ for Sussex Stakes test

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John Gosden is looking forward to seeing how Field Of Gold fares when faced with the unique demands of Goodwood in the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes next week.

The brilliant Juddmonte-owned grey has had a superb campaign so far this year, winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Prior to those runs he has narrowly denied in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and was the winner of the Craven, a superb run of form that leads neatly into the Sussex and very much makes him the horse to beat.

“He’s been a grand horse to train, he’s done nothing but thrive this year,” said Gosden.

“We’ve been pleased with his progress all the way through.

“The Sussex is a different test of a horse. If you’ve ever walked the track, it’s quite a surprise, it runs down into a dip, swings up and around.

“You don’t want too big a field and a high draw because you are literally down the hill looking at the horses getting the shortest run round up the hill, so the draw is a big factor there if you get a large field.

“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.

“He’s in great order, and we’re looking forward to running him. It’s very much the obvious race to go to for him.”

Field Of Gold could be joined by Lockinge Stakes winner Lead Artist, who proved his suitability for Goodwood when taking the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at this meeting last year and is also owned by the Juddmonte operation.

Gosden said: “He’s in great form, we’ll see if he runs, no decision on that yet.

“He bowled along there last year and won in good style. We’re not sure if they’ll both run at this stage, we’re a little far off from the race yet.”

Gosden, who trains alongside his son, Thady, will have plenty of other headline runners at the Goodwood fixture, with French Master and Sweet William both going for the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

Successful in the Copper Horse Handicap at the Royal meeting, French Master will be up in trip and class, but Gosden said: “We’re hopeful he’ll run a good race. He did a little breeze with Sweet William, there wasn’t much between them, nicely on the bridle, looking after each other. Sweet William was a neck up, actually.”

William Buick ‘on the list’ for vacant Field Of Gold ride

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William Buick is “on the list” of potential riders who could partner Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood later this month.

Narrowly denied by Ruling Court in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket when partnered by Kieran Shoemark, the John and Thady Gosden-trained grey has made no mistake in two subsequent outings under Juddmonte’s new retained rider Colin Keane, dominating his rivals in the Irish Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, with Keane ruled out of the entirety of the Goodwood Festival after picking up a 14-day suspension at Sandown last week for transgressing the whip rules, Field Of Gold will require another change of jockey on July 30.

Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon insists no final decision will be made until closer to the time, but told the PA news agency on Saturday: “I’m sure he (Buick) is on the list, but we’ll have to wait and see whether Godolphin have a runner in the race and everything else nearer the time.

“All being well we’re heading to Goodwood – that is plan A. I saw the horse myself earlier this week, he looked in good shape and seems to be doing well.

“We’ll make a decision on who rides him closer to the time.”

John Gosden rates a Buick a possible pick, although he did joke that Frankie Dettori had put in a request for the ride from his American base.

When asked whether Buick was the most likely pilot, Gosden said: “Probably, yes, but I got a picture from Saratoga of a man lighting a picture in a Catholic church and underneath it said ‘please can I have the ride’!

“That’s a joke! Someone like William (it could be), but we haven’t got near the race yet. You know this game, we’ll just wait.”

Gosden not disheartened after narrow defeat for Ombudsman

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John Gosden was proud of Ombudsman in defeat after the Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner was narrowly denied in a “messy” renewal of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

The four-year-old was a 6-4 favourite to double his Group One tally following his brilliant display at Royal Ascot last month, but after battling his way to the front inside the final furlong, he was unable to resist the late surge of Delacroix and an inspired Ryan Moore.

“I said beforehand it could be a messy race and I think I was correct,” said Gosden, who trains in partnership with his son Thady.

“We thought Delacroix would go forward and the French horse (Sosie) would sit handy and then of course it was all the other way round, but that happens in small fields.

“It didn’t turn out the way we thought, he was trapped rather wide and has got close to the pace and Delacroix has run us down late.

“It was one of those races you can get with a small field, but full marks to the winner. He has gone and outstayed the lot of them and in the end it was down to stamina.

“Our horse has still run a great race, 17 days (since Ascot) is not ideal, let’s be honest.”

Ombudsman was a neck behind Delacroix at the line, with another Godolphin runner – Charlie Appleby’s 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court – just under two lengths further away in third.

Ruling Court has had a busy time of things, having finished third in the St James’s Palace Stakes since his Classic triumph at Newmarket, and Appleby was pleased with his performance on what was his first attempt at a mile and a quarter.

“There’s a lot more positives to take out of it than the negative of being beaten,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“None of us expected the race to be run like that, full credit to the winner. But from our own point of view we take a lot of positives.

“He was relaxed in the preliminaries and our plan was not to be in that position, but with the pace there was on in the first couple of furlongs, Oisin (Murphy) had no choice – he had to stay there.

“I’m just delighted with the horse and at the end of the day he’s done very little wrong. He’s not been out of the first three in his career.

“He’ll go to Deauville now for the mile-and-a-quarter race Economics won last year (Prix Guillaume d’Ornano). That was our plan after this and hopefully next year we’re going to be working back from the Prince of Wales’s.”

Ombudsman aiming to put Eclipse rivals in the shade

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Ombudsman will try to stamp himself the outstanding colt of the season by following up his emphatic Royal Ascot success in an exceptional edition of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

John Gosden has won the Esher track’s summer highlight four times, but now training in conjunction with son Thady, he has a horse who showed in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes he is ready to add his name to the list of greats to race out of the family’s historic Clarehaven base.

“We always thought he had the potential to be a horse of this class, but you can only find that out on the day,” said Thady Gosden reflecting on his brilliant performance at the Royal meeting.

“He would have been an unlucky loser, he had a few traffic problems but then he showed that great turn of foot that (sire) Night Of Thunder seems to give them and he picked up well when he asked him.

Ombudsman was an impressive Ascot scorer
Ombudsman was an impressive Ascot scorer (David Davies/PA)

“The idea before Ascot was that if he ran well enough there, then we would come for this. When it went the way it did and he came out of it well, it was very much the plan. We always thought we would start him later in the season, give him a run before Ascot and go from there.

“He’s developed quite gradually and hopefully he’s got a bright future.”

Vadeni secured a first win for a French-trained horse since 1960 when scoring three years ago and Andre Fabre saddles his ultra-smart three-time Group One winner Sosie as he looks to add his name to the roll of honour.

Two of those top-level victories have come in his last two starts and the Prix Ganay and Prix d’Ispahan winner – who currently heads the betting for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – adds a Gallic flavour to this stellar line-up.

Fabre said: “I don’t know if he has improved (this season), he has been running over a different distance and he’s a triple Group One winner.

“The horse hasn’t surprised me this year, he has just confirmed what I thought.

“He is meeting different opposition on Saturday and it is an interesting race, with two Classic winners and a good older horse of Godolphin’s – it’s a good race.

“The ground is not a concern, he doesn’t like the soft and enjoys that good ground.”

Andre Fabre is the master trainer
Andre Fabre is the master trainer (Adam Morgan/PA)

On what it would mean to add the Eclipse to his already glittering CV, the trainer added: “Any race I’m running in I’m happy to win it, whether it’s the Eclipse or a race in the country. It’s not a trainer’s race, it’s a horse race.”

It is no surprise to see Aidan O’Brien well-represented in this first major clash of the generations as the race’s most successful trainer bids for a record-extending ninth success with beaten Derby favourite Delacroix (Ryan Moore) and French Derby hero Camille Pissarro (Christophe Soumillon).

O’Brien said: “Both of them have been very good since their last runs and we felt in the Derby with Delacroix, he got knocked down at the top of the hill and ended up too far back and I’d say the trip was too far. That’s what we think.

“We didn’t know going for the French Derby if Camille Pissarro would get the trip, but he did get it. This is probably a little bit tougher track and a tougher race, but everything has gone well and he’s in good shape.”

Ruling Court after winning the 2000 Guineas
Ruling Court after winning the 2000 Guineas (Joe Giddens/PA)

Jessica Harrington’s Hotazhell is another of the Classic generation to make the trip from Ireland, while Charlie Appleby’s 2000 Guineas champion Ruling Court finally steps up in trip after defeat at Royal Ascot.

Charlie Appleby told wwww.godolphin.com: “The tempo of the St James’s Palace Stakes was completely different to what Ruling Court encountered in the 2000 Guineas. They went an end-to-end gallop and he never really looked comfortable throughout the race.

“We have always wanted to step him up in trip and a mile and a quarter is probably the ideal distance to aim for as a first try over middle distances. There is only one Derby, so we obviously had a look at the mile-and-a-half route before deciding not to run at Epsom due to the ground.

“Conditions at Sandown look there to suit. He has won around the course before and has a significant weight pull against the older horses, which can often come into play in an Eclipse. It’s a small but very strong field, and he’s a Classic-winning colt who doesn’t look out of place in the field.”

Juddmonte juggling pack with leading milers

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Connections of Lead Artist are confident the Lockinge hero will put Royal Ascot disappointment behind him before the season is out.

The Juddmonte-owned four-year-old claimed Group One honours for the first time at Newbury last month and was consequently among the leading contenders for last week’s Queen Anne Stakes, but he was ultimately well beaten in seventh place.

“I think they just went far too slow, they crawled for four furlongs and then sprinted and Lead Artist is a horse we know stays beyond a mile,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager, Barry Mahon.

“It just didn’t pan out for us on the day, but he’s a better horse than that, we know that, and we’ll get him back on track and see the best of him again.”

Where and when Lead Artist will bid to redeem himself is uncertain, with Juddmonte possessing an enviable hand in the mile division, with the Irish Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes hero Field Of Gold the undoubted top dog.

Lead Artist holds an entry in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes, but is unlikely to head that way if that is the chosen target for his illustrious stablemate, while Harry Charlton’s Irish Guineas runner-up Cosmic Year must also be thrown into the mix.

Mahon added: “I don’t know where we’ll go with Lead Artist yet. There’s going to be a bit of juggling there with him and Field Of Gold and Cosmic Year and Jonquil as well.

“We haven’t quite worked it out yet, but we will as we go.”

Andrew Balding’s Jonquil is another looking to bounce back from an underwhelming performance at Royal Ascot, having seemingly found the six furlongs of the Commonwealth Cup too sharp.

Jonquil will step back up in trip
Jonquil will step back up in trip (David Davies/PA)

He was one of two Juddmonte-owned runners who failed to run up to expectations in that Group One contest, with the Ger Lyons-trained Babouche also well held.

“Babouche was disappointing, she was just too keen and you don’t get away with being that keen in a Group One in Ascot,” said Mahon.

“It was her second time in England and her second time doing that, so we’ll have to go back to the drawing board. We’ll probably keep her in Ireland for the rest of the year and see if we can get her back on track.

“Jonquil was just a bit of a square peg in a round hole – six furlongs was too short for him. Christophe (Soumillon) felt he came home great in the last half-furlong, but he said he needs a mile and we’ll try and find an opportunity.”

Goodwood or Deauville options for Field Of Gold

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Goodwood’s Qatar Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville are the two options under consideration for Field Of Gold following his sensational display at Royal Ascot.

John and Thady Gosden’s colt has followed an identical route to his brilliant sire Kingman so far this season by finishing second in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket before going one better in the Irish equivalent and then bolting up in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

With Kingman going on to land the Sussex and then the Marois on what proved to be the final start of his career, the Juddmonte team are hopeful Field Of Gold can at least match if not surpass his father’s achievements.

“He’s come out of Ascot in great form, as far as I know they are all happy with him,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“It was a great result, he’s obviously an exceptional horse and it was nice to see it all come together on a big day.

“I suppose his dad’s three-year-old season got cut short a little bit and hopefully this lad will be able to continue that run for the rest of the year.

“I think that seems to be the train of thought, sort of Sussex or Jacques le Marois next. He’ll tell us closer to the time whether he’s ready for Goodwood or he needs another week or two.”

Colin Keane and Field Of Gold following his Royal Ascot triumph
Colin Keane and Field Of Gold following his Royal Ascot triumph (John Walton/PA)

With the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday week seemingly coming too soon, if Field Of Gold is to test his powers over a mile and a quarter at some stage that will have to wait until later in the summer, with the Juddmonte International at York considered an “obvious” potential target.

Mahon added: “At the start of the season we were more bullish about going a mile and a quarter, but the more they keep winning at a mile you start questioning it.

“I’m sure we’ll try it at some stage and that (Juddmonte International) would be an obvious place to do it if we wanted to go that way.”

Trawlerman triumph highlights fruitful Royal Ascot for Gosden team

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Trawlerman’s Gold Cup win capped a magical week for John and Thady Gosden, who edged out Aidan O’Brien to top the trainers’ standings at Royal Ascot.

Field Of Gold and Ombudsman had already produced sublime performances in the St James’s Palace Stakes and Prince of Wales’s Stakes respectively during the first two days of the Royal meeting, but the elusive Gold Cup victory for the Clarehaven team’s staying stalwart rubber stamped a stellar five days.

Thady Gosden said: “It’s been a terrific week and I think the highlight must be Trawlerman. he’s been in the yard five years, he’s by Golden Horn and he wears his heart on his sleeve.

“He’s the most genuine horse and in his races he will do everything, but when you’re with him in person he is a kind, sweet, gentle soul, and for him to run the race he did having coming second last year – what a fantastic result for the horse and for the sport.”

Trawlerman won Thursday's Gold Cup
Trawlerman won Thursday’s Gold Cup (David Davies/PA)

The Gosden team finished the week with five winners, the same number as O’Brien, but took the prize due to on extra silver medal they picked up through the week.

Gosden Sr has previously won the award twice on his own and praised his son Thady after winning the award for a second time as a training partnership.

John Gosden – who registered his 70th Royal Ascot winner this week – said: “Our week started very strongly with the right races and everyone working at home had the horses spot-on.

“They’ve run very well since, finishing second and third and second and third, and that of course counts towards winning this when you’re at five winners all with Aidan O’Brien.

“Thady has been with me about eight years already – and the rest – so, poor chap, it must be getting a bit annoying!

“But there is nothing like this meeting, it’s our Olympics, and it’s great to win this. Without him I wouldn’t be as on the ball at all. It’s been a great combination.”

Field Of Gold impressed on Tuesday
Field Of Gold impressed on Tuesday (David Davies/PA)

Reflecting on Field Of Gold’s dazzling Group One victory which lit up the opening day of the fixture, Thady Gosden added: “Field Of Gold is a horse who has just improved and improved and improved.

“His sire Kingman was a peerless miler, but he has shown the electric turn of foot his sire had. It was a great race with all three Guineas winners from north-western Europe in the same race. He is very exciting for Juddmonte and for all of us.”

Ballydoyle handler O’Brien may have been thwarted in his quest for a fourth successive leading trainer prize, but his number one jockey Ryan Moore was out on his own as top rider for the 12th time.

He capped yet another fine week in Berkshire with his seventh success of the meeting aboard Willie Mullins’ Sober in the concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes to finish two clear of Oisin Murphy.

Sober won the final race of the meeting for Ryan Moore
Sober won the final race of the meeting for Ryan Moore (John Walton/PA)

Moore said: “It’s great to ride seven winners, Aidan’s horses were in great form all work, when you’re riding for Aidan and Willie you’re going to ride winners.”

Both Coolmore and Wathnan Racing finished the week with five winners, but it was Coolmore who came out on top for the third year running on account of their superior record with placed horses.

Coolmore’s MV Magnier said: “It means a lot to everyone. The guys and everyone put everything into this week, and for Aidan and Ryan to do such a good job, it’s incredible.

“We’re very grateful and we are very lucky to be here. We are very lucky to have the King and Queen present every day this week. It’s a big deal for our business.”

Disappointment for the King and Queen again at Ascot

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Rainbows Edge could finish only seventh in the colours of the King and Queen, as Miss Information claimed top honours in the Kensington Palace Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot.

With the well-fancied Reaching High unable to land a blow when the 11-4 favourite for Tuesday’s Ascot Stakes, attentions turned to the next runner to carry the royal silks in the penultimate race on Wednesday’s card and Rainbows Edge was the 3-1 market leader come the off.

The four-year-old had won three of her four starts for the the in-form training team of John and Thady Gosden, but while she travelled strongly for the first half of this straight mile contest under William Buick, she was a spent force with two furlongs to run and faded out of contention.

Rainbows Edge before running at Royal Ascot
Rainbows Edge before running at Royal Ascot (Adam Morgan/PA)

John Gosden said: “The ground was too quick for her, it dried out too much for her and she wants stepping up to a mile and a quarter.

“She’s actually run well for a filly who wasn’t in love with the ground, so we will just now go a mile and a quarter with a bit of ease in the ground and hopefully win a Listed race with her.”

At the business end of proceedings it was Andrew Balding’s Miss Information (11-1) and the Gavin Cromwell-trained Snellen who came to the fore, with the former coming out on top by a length in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

Miss Information passes the post in front in the Kensington Palace Stakes
Miss Information passes the post in front in the Kensington Palace Stakes (John Walton/PA)

Balding said: “She’s been a star, this filly. She had no luck last time at Epsom, she got shuffled back and just didn’t seem to enjoy herself.

“Fast ground is what she wants, she just about got the mile.

“It’s so nice for her owner, they really get a lot of enjoyment out of it and I’m so pleased for them.

“She’s in the Bunbury Cup, we will try to get some black type at some stage and she’ll make a lovely broodmare.”

Ombudsman shows star quality with sizzling Prince of Wales’s display

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Ombudsman displayed a devastating change of gear to run out a brilliant winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Successful on each of his first four starts last season, including a Group Three win in France, John and Thady Gosden’s colt met with defeat for the first time when second to Almaqam on his return to action in last month’s Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.

The Godolphin-owned four-year-old faced a further hike in class for this Group One feature, but after being settled well off the strong early pace by William Buick, he engaged overdrive once in the clear halfway up the straight and readily picked off the gallant Anmaat to win by two lengths going away.

See The Fire was third, another two and a half lengths behind the 7-1 winner, but Aidan O’Brien’s Los Angeles, the 13-8 favourite, faded into fifth place.

Gosden senior, celebrating his 70th Royal Ascot winner, said: “He’s a special horse and it’s just a question of an owner giving you the time to let them mature and get there.

“He’s got a turn of foot and he (Buick) knew it, it was a matter of getting out, but I did notice when he finally got daylight there was a furlong to go.”

He went on: “It’s a question of, when you get to the straight, whether you get the luck. He wasn’t in a position where he could swing round the field, it was more of a case of waiting for the gap.

“He was very patient. I knew when there was a gap at the furlong pole that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot – he was patient and he was rewarded.

“When we bought him he was an immature horse, he didn’t run as a two-year-old and as a three-year-old we brought him on and then put him away. He’s horse who is now properly grown and developed as a four-year-old.

The Prince of Wales presents a commemorative saddle blanket to trainer John Gosden following his 70th win at Royal Ascot with Ombudsman
The Prince of Wales presents a commemorative saddle blanket to trainer John Gosden following his 70th win at Royal Ascot with Ombudsman (David Davies/PA)

“He’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse, he’s got a wonderful turn of foot as you saw and I think we’ll play to that strength. As far as I’m concerned he’s done nothing but grow in stature.

“He is a horse that because he hasn’t over-raced this year, he could be a horse you could look at the Eclipse.

“That wouldn’t be my choice (to run him against Field Of Gold).”

Thady Gosden added: “When William found a gap he asked him to go through it and he was very quick.

“The Eclipse looks like the natural step to take. It was a top-class field today, it was the most elite field of the week as it often is and he showed what he was capable of there.

“It wasn’t a huge field but it was highly elite, as you’d expect at this meeting. He certainly came up good.”

William Buick was all smiles after winning on Ombudsman
William Buick was all smiles after winning on Ombudsman (John Walton/PA)

Buick was noticeably jubilant on passing the line, after an opening day that had seen high-profile reverses for Notable Speech and Ruling Court.

He said: “This place tames lions. It’s so special to win here because it’s so tough, everyone comes here in great form and everyone is doing their very best of course.

“They went a hard gallop. I was always going to have to ride for a bit of luck and he quickened instantly. I thought he was impressive.

“I think that was a taste of what’s to come for sure. He’s got low miles on the clock, he’s an exciting horse.”

Colin Keane familiarises himself with Lead Artist ahead of Queen Anne

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Lead Artist will face some familiar rivals as the Lockinge winner headlined 11 confirmations for Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The opening contest of the 2025 fixture is one of the highlights of the week, with the John and Thady Gosden-trained Lead Artist set to clash again with Newbury second Dancing Gemini, third-placed Rosallion and the fourth Notable Speech.

Both Notable Speech and Rosallion were Classic winners last year, taking the English and Irish 2000 Guineas respectively, and while John Gosden expects the pair to improve for their seasonal bows, he is backing Lead Artist to again make his presence felt.

He said: “Rosallion and Notable Speech are both going to come on for that Lockinge run and it is as good a Queen Anne as I have seen in a long time. Now those two have a race under their belt, it’s quite a humdinger to start the meeting with.

“Lead Artist has matured a lot mentally, which some of us do as we get older, and I like his enthusiasm as you can put him anywhere in a race, even though handy is where we would all like to be.”

Lead Artist has not run since that neck defeat of Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini, but enjoyed a racecourse gallop at Newmarket on Wednesday morning under owner Juddmonte’s new retained rider Colin Keane.

Oisin Murphy was in the saddle for last month’s Lockinge and Gosden felt it was a worthwhile exercise for Keane to get a feel for his mount ahead of the Group One.

He added: “It’s been a long time since the Lockinge so it’s great to come here and of course there has been not much rain, so we have been pretty much stuck on the all-weather all spring.

“Colin hasn’t ridden him before and maybe hasn’t seen him before, so it was good he could come here and get a feel for him.

“He does hold his condition really well and he’s a well-covered, powerful horse. But that comes from the sire line and they do hold their condition incredibly well.

“We’ve been pleased with him and he’s had a nice blow here which should set him up nicely for next Tuesday.”

The Gosden team has a powerful second string in Sardinian Warrior, who was just denied in the Prix d’Ispahan last time out while last year’s second Docklands, the supplemented Carl Spackler, Lake Forest, Diego Velazquez, Quddwah and Cairo are also in the mix

Field Of Gold on course for ’round two’ with Ruling Court

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John Gosden is relishing the Royal Ascot rematch between stable star Field Of Gold and his 2000 Guineas conqueror Ruling Court in a mouthwatering St James’s Palace Stakes.

The Clarehaven hotshot suffered defeat at Newmarket to Charlie Appleby’s Justify colt – who was a late withdrawal from the Derby due to rain-softened ground – but gained Classic redemption in sublime style at the Curragh last month.

“Round two with Ruling Court is exciting and is what Royal Ascot is all about. There will be a fabulous line-up of horses in a lot of races,” said Gosden, who watched some of his team for the Royal meeting work on Newmarket’s July course on Wednesday morning.

“There was no need for him to come and have a gallop today as he’s only just run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, but he’s fine and heading to the St James’s Palace.”

Having followed in the footsteps of his sire Kingman almost symmetrically to this point, Gosden is now hoping he can replicate his father once again by scoring in a blockbuster opening-day clash also contains Aidan O’Brien’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains champion Henri Matisse.

However, to do so the long-striding grey could need the draw gods to shine favourably and Gosden continued: “We will have to see how the race works out and you have to take a good look at the draw haven’t you over the mile at Ascot.

“If you’re drawn on the inside you might never see daylight and we’ll see how that draw goes and take things from there.”

Gosden, who has won the St James’s Palace Stakes three times among his 66 Royal Ascot winners, also gave his backing to Colin Keane, who was on the July course assisting in preparations after securing the prime position of Juddmonte retained jockey ahead of the summer’s showpiece meeting.

The six-time Irish champion stepped in aboard Field Of Gold when the colt scorched to Irish 2,000 Guineas glory and although it was Queen Anne Stakes hope Lead Artist instead of the his Classic hero that he partnered in Wednesday morning work, Gosden hailed the 30-year-old’s class in the saddle.

“He’s a very talented jockey and horseman and an extremely nice fellow,” explained Gosden.

“The travelling will be demanding, but I’m sure he will fit in well once he gets to know all the horses. I think if you travel regularly on Ryanair you might be seeing him. He’ll be over plenty riding work as well as at the races and he’s come over today especially.

“He’s a classy jockey and you’re not six-time Irish champion without being at the top of your game as racing over there is tough and no one gives a quarter to anyone. So to that extent he is very talented and it’s an exciting opportunity for him.”

As well as Ruling Court, Appleby has Guineas third Shadow Of Light and Opera Ballo in contention, while Juddmonte can also call on the Andrew Balding-trained pair of Jonquil and Windlord.

O’Brien also has a total of three contenders, with First Wave and Officer still in the mix alongside Henri Matisse, as Rashabar (Brian Meehan) and Scorthy Champ (Joseph O’Brien) complete the 11-strong list.