Field Of Gold set for seasonal reappearance in bet365 Mile at Sandown

Field Of Gold could make his eagerly-awaited four-year-old return in the bet365 Mile at Sandown later this month.

One of the leading performers from last year’s Classic generation, the son of Kingman avenged narrow defeat in the 2000 Guineas in the Irish equivalent before dazzling at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Things did not go to plan from that point on for the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt, finishing lame when beaten at long odds-on in the Sussex Stakes before perhaps lacking for a recent run when only fifth in the season-ending Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day.

Owners Juddmonte have elected to keep the star miler in training and having reportedly thrived over the winter he could return in the Esher event the Clarehaven training team claimed with Palace Pier in 2021.

“It’s very possible he goes to Sandown and he’s training towards there,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the owners.

“We’re going to have a discussion, myself, John and Thady and owners later this week just to confirm that but if John and Thady are happy with his fitness levels then that is where he will start.

“Hopefully it will be another exciting year for him, he showed us last year he is top class. By all accounts he has strengthened from three to four and Colin Keane was very happy when he sat on him recently.

“It would be great if he can continue to progress and we can get a clean run with him.”