By Tom Frary
Emulating the feat of his sire Kingman (GB) in winning Sandown's G3 Solario Stakes on Saturday, Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Field Of Gold (Ire) continued his upward trajectory for the Gosdens who have enjoyed some big moments in this seven-furlong juvenile staging post. Impressive when dealing with some smart contemporaries in a Newmarket novice at the July Festival, the grey son of the well-connected Princess De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) was keen early for Kieran Shoemark tracking the pace set by chief market rival Royal Playwright (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Committed approaching two out, the 5-4 favourite may have been idling late as Matauri Bay (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) got to 3/4 of a length at the line, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of the tiring Royal Playwright.
“He's obviously progressed and he's had a nice break since his last run,” Thady Gosden said. “As you saw he quickened up nicely, they didn't go much of a gallop early on and once he hit the front he was having a good look around. He's a horse with plenty of class. He's done much of that today on natural ability. There is plenty of scope for improvement next year and like his sire, he has a fantastic mind which will help him develop.”
Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon added, “He will have no problem staying a mile and I think we will look at the [G1] Jean-Luc Lagardere next, at this stage that looks an obvious plan. The 2-year-olds have been exciting this year and in general we have a good bunch led by Babouche in Ireland who is a Group 1 winner, so it's an exciting time.”
Matauri Bay's trainer Ralph Beckett is also aiming at the juvenile contest on ParisLongchamp's Arc card. “I thought he was a little green around the bend and Hector [Crouch] thought they slowed it down between the four and the three and that has perhaps cost us, because he couldn't get out and then he was a little green when he did get out,” he explained. “We will think about the Lagardere and all of those Group 1 races. He's not a big horse, so we will be getting on with it this year.”
Pedigree Notes
Field Of Gold is the third foal out of the aforementioned dam Princess De Lune, whose first was the Listed Rosemary Stakes winner Zanbaq (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). She is a full-sister to the triple group scorer Puissance De Lune (Ire) and the G2 Middleton Stakes winner Queen Power (Ire) and a half to the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Zabeel Prince (Ire) by Shamardal's son Lope De Vega (Ire). The second dam Princess Serena (Unbridled's Song) is also responsible for Serena's Storm (Ire) (Statue Of Liberty), who produced the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB})
and Kingman's G2 Balanchine winner and GI Just a Game Stakes and GI Diana Stakes runner-up Summer Romance (Ire).
The third dam Serena's Sister (Rahy) is, as her name suggests, a full-sister to the prolific Grade I-winning champion Serena's Song who produced the G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Sophisticat (Storm Cat) and her GII Oaklawn Handicap-winning full-brother and sire Grand Reward. Princess De Lune's filly foal is by Ghaiyyath (Ire).
Saturday, Sandown, Britain
SKY BET SOLARIO STAKES-G3, £65,000, Sandown, 8-31, 2yo, 7fT, 1:29.48, gd.
1–FIELD OF GOLD (IRE), 129, 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
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. TDN Rising Star.
(€530,000 Wlg '22 GOFNO1). O-Juddmonte; B-Roundhill Stud
(IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Kieran Shoemark. £36,862.
Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $62,664. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Matauri Bay (Ire), 129, c, 2, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Matauri Pearl
(Ire), by Hurricane Run (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP
BLACK TYPE. (500,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Valmont,
Ballylinch & Ecurie des Charmes; B-Ecurie des Charmes &
Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. £13,975.
3–Royal Playwright (GB), 129, c, 2, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Arabian
Queen (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP
BLACK TYPE. O-Mr J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-Andrew
Balding. £6,994.
Margins: 3/4, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.25, 7.50, 1.88.
Also Ran: Tiger Mask (Ire), Hott Shott (GB), Victory Sound (Ire), Zou's Your Daddy (GB). Scratched: An Outlaw's Grace (Ire).
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