A passive ride might have cost Field of Gold victory in the English 2000 Guineas earlier on May 3 at Newmarket, but there was no stopping the colt Saturday at The Curragh in the Irish 2000 Guineas.
With Colin Keane riding for the first time, Field of Gold raced sixth of nine coming out of the little right-handed dogleg and onto the long straightaway down which most of the one-mile Guineas is contested. Racing about four paths from the fence and with no cover, Field of Gold relaxed for Keane through the early stages, awaiting his cue.
A strapping gray son of Kingman and Princess De Lune, by Shamardal, Field of Gold’s good 2-year-old campaign ended with a modest fourth in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, run at Longchamp over a course probably softer than Field of Gold prefers. Field of Gold sharply won the Craven Stakes in April prepping for the 2000 Guineas, where he finished second by a half-length behind Goldophin’s Ruling Court. Jockey Kieren Shoemark, removed not long after the Guineas as the top stable rider for co-trainers John and Thady Gosden, waited and waited to ask Field of Gold, and by the time the colt hit full stride it was too late to run down Ruling Court.
Field of Gold isn’t the type of miler with a truly electric turn of foot: He winds up more slowly, sustains longer than that sort of horse. Thus, with more than three furlongs remaining, Keane began subtly edging his mount into a more forward position and with more than a quarter mile to race, Field of Gold had gotten serious. Stretching to his max, he swooped to the lead at the furlong grounds, already an obvious winner, crossing the finish 3 3/4 lengths to the good as the even-money favorite.
Running on late for second came Cosmic Year, who gave Juddmonte a sweep of the first two placings with homebred colts. Hotazhell, who raced forwardly, finished third, three-quarters of a length out of second. Racing over “good” ground, Field of Gold clocked 1:36.58, the second-fastest Irish 2000 Guineas time in the 2000s.
John Gosden, winning this race for the second time, said he hoped Juddmonte would be keen, like he is, to go to the St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot with Field of Gold. Rev him up early enough, and he’ll win that Group 1 mile, too.
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