By Sean Cronin
Juddmonte's €530,000 Goffs November foal Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}–Princess De Lune {Ire}, by Shamardal) was compromised by inexperience when a debut third at Doncaster last month and overpowered one dozen rivals to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' tackling the same seven-furlong trip in Thursday's £21,000 Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket.
The well-backed 9-4 favourite broke smartly from the centre stall and was under a firm grip racing in a prominent fifth until tanking forward to draw alongside the front rank with three furlongs remaining. Emerging out of the dip with a commanding advantage, the March-foaled grey engaged turbo on the climb and thundered home under mild rousting to easily outclass Starzintheireyes (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) by an impressive 3 1/4 lengths. He becomes the second Rising Star in two days, and 34th overall, for his sire.
This race used to be known as the Strutt & Parker Maiden, which carried major significance and saw Alhaarth (Ire) and Mark Of Esteem (Ire) meet for the first time in 1995. It was won in 1996 by Bahhare, in 2001 by Dubai Destination and in 2007 by Rio De La Plata. Field Of Gold is the third straight Rising Star to emerge from it after Arabic Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Team Gosden stablemate Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}).
“He ran well at Doncaster, which is a good track for two-year-olds as there's nothing quite like the straight and the flat,” said John Gosden. “They weren't going quite fast enough for him, he upped the pace and has done it very well. We used to call it the Strutt and Parker until all the estate agents went online. He's a nice horse and stamped his authority on the race. We'll head in the direction of one mile and something like the [G2] Royal Lodge will come into it later and then the [G1] Futurity Trophy I would think. The horse that won yesterday [TDN Rising Star Chancellor] is more for the six- and seven-furlong department, while this one will want further. They're two well above-average two-year-olds.”
Whoosh
A dominant display by #GoffsGrad Field Of Gold who strides clear to win stylishly on his second start for John & Thady Gosden & @JuddmonteFarms
2YO c. by Kingman was bred & sold by Roundhill Stud to Juddmonte Farms for €530,000 at #GoffsNovember. pic.twitter.com/dLYJSXjVt7
— Goffs (@Goffs1866) July 12, 2024
Field Of Gold is the latest of three foals, all winners, produced by a winning full-sister to dual Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed sire Puissance De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) and G2 Middleton Stakes victrix Queen Power (Ire) (Shamardal). The March-foaled grey's dam Princess De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) is also kin to G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and to the dam of G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and the dual Group-winning GI Just A Game Stakes and GI Diana Stakes runner-up Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). The latter is another of the sire's Rising Stars. Field Of Gold, whose third dam Serena's Sister (Rahy) is a full-sister to multiple Grade I-winning matriarch and US champion Serena's Song, is kin to Listed Rosemary Stakes victor Zanbaq (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
5th-Newmarket, £21,000, Mdn, 7-12, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:25.54, gd.
FIELD OF GOLD (IRE), c, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Princess De Lune (Ire), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Princess Serena, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Serena's Sister, by Rahy
Sales history: €530,000 Wlg '22 GOFNOV. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $15,456. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Juddmonte; B-Roundhill Stud (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Kieran Shoemark.
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