Field Of Gold Towers Over 10 Potential Sussex Stakes Rivals

[Wandering Eyes]

Following Thursday's confirmation stage, Field Of Gold could face up to 10 rivals as he tries to emulate his brilliant sire, Kingman, by completing a Group 1 hat-trick in Wednesday's Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Field Of Gold has followed an almost identical path to Kingman so far this season, with his narrow defeat in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket being followed by devastating victories in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James's Palace Stakes.

Kingman had only three rivals to beat when winning the Sussex Stakes in explosive fashion back in 2014, but Field Of Gold and jockey William Buick – deputising for the suspended Colin Keane – appear likely to have bigger field to negotiate when the season's outstanding three-year-old miler takes on his elders for the first time at Goodwood.

The Gosdens and owners Juddmonte have also confirmed their G1 Lockinge Stakes hero Lead Artist. The son of Dubawi is said to be an unlikely runner at this stage, but the Juddmonte team is still set to field a second runner in Qirat (Showcasing), a potential pacemaker for Field Of Gold after being 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 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett), who filled the runner-up spot behind Field Of Gold at Royal Ascot, as well as Serengeti (Wootton Bassett), The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars) and Exactly (Frankel) from his Classic crop. Talented older miler Diego Velazquez (Frankel) could make a quick reappearance for O'Brien as well, having followed his below-par run in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot with a battling success in the G2 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh last weekend.

The Harry Eustace-trained Docklands (Massaat) and Richard Hannon's Rosallion (Blue Point) look set to renew rivalry after finishing first and second, with only a nose between them, in the Queen Anne. That was a first Group 1 success for Docklands, while Rosallion showed that he retains much of the ability he showed as a three-year-old when winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace.

Back in sixth in the Queen Anne was Carl Spackler (Lope De Vega), who completes the potential field on the final stop of his European adventure before he continues his racing career in Australia. A multiple Grade 1 winner when trained in America by Chad Brown, he was having his first start for Ciaron Maher and Yulong Investments when beaten only three lengths at Royal Ascot.

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