By Tom Frary
Emulating his sire Kingman in style as well as bare results, Field Of Gold got the Juddmonte-Colin Keane retainer off to a flyer at the highest level in Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes. Making a mockery of the Royal Ascot rematch with his 2,000 Guineas conqueror Ruling Court, the 8-11 favourite left that son of Justify and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett) trailing with his ruthless acceleration between the two and the one.
Like his sire going one better than Newmarket in the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas before confirming himself top dog here, the Gosdens' grey hit the line with 3 1/2 lengths to spare over Henri Matisse, with Ruling Court staying on 3 3/4 lengths back in third.
“It was exciting, to say the least,” John Gosden said. “I thought he'd gone too soon, but he's a proper horse and we'll give him a holiday now.”
SUPERSTAR! FIELD OF GOLD ROUTS THEM IN THE ST JAMES'S PALACE STAKES! #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/ENbnZHKAZk
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 17, 2025
Labelled a TDN Rising Star when winning a time-honoured seven-furlong maiden at Newmarket's July Festival, Field Of Gold didn't necessarily shape like the behemoth he was to become in either of his next two juvenile starts but still managed to emulate his sire in winning the G3 Solario Stakes at Sandown. What the Craven told us was that here was a colt who was peaking at last and while his 2,000 Guineas defeat may remain a mystery like that of Kingman's own, his subsequent surge to pre-eminence is one of the season's main stories.
This was a case of let it all play out ahead and let the race come to him, which it did heading to the two-furlong pole as Keane loomed on the outer full of running. Producing a rare burst when given the command, he was soon in the clear with the two other Guineas winners eventually spread out behind in one of the easiest races for the international handicappers to rate for some time. An elite runner who belongs up there with any of the race's bigwigs.
“He had always impressed as a two-year-old, but he was a big boy and slightly outgrew himself,” Gosden Sr explained. “We ran him in France, which was a mistake in the end. He was too free in front and didn't finish up. We should have run him in the Dewhurst, I regret that. Then this year he has been exemplary in everything he has done.”
“It was never the plan to go to Ireland, so he's had a trial, two Guineas and this. It's a lot of racing and we're not even beginning to be halfway through the season,” he added. “Maybe we will freshen and go to the Sussex, something like that. I think if he hadn't run in Ireland, I would have probably been keen to go to the Eclipse but when they win like that they are taking a lot out of themselves.”
Colin Keane was able to relish the closing stages of his first big triumph under his retainer. “Good horses make it look easy,” he said in typical humble fashion. “I thought Ryan was always going to be behind us somewhere. If anything, the leaders probably didn't bring us far enough and we got there plenty soon, but he's tough and genuine. I am fortunate enough to be riding him and, at this moment, he is the best horse I have sat on.”
Aidan O'Brien said of Henri Matisse, “You are never happy when you get beat, but he still ran a very good race. I think we will stay at a mile. We had it in our heads that he would go to the Sussex Stakes after, so we'll see, but that's what was in our heads.”
Ruling Court's trainer Charlie Appleby said, “William said he was never really travelling comfortably and obviously at this level you need to be able to get up and travel on the bridle, give your horse a breather, to try to go through those gears at the business end. It's going back to where we felt we were in the spring–we felt we were a mile-and-a-quarter horse. He won the Guineas, and we were then gung-ho to go to the Derby–I still think it was the right decision not to run on the ground.”
“It is never ideal to have to regroup and run somewhere else, but I don't think that was our undoing today,” he added. “The horse is fine and one thing we'll be doing from now on is stepping up in trip. I think it might be a bit soon to say we'll be jumping on to the Eclipse, but we'll be working back from the Juddmonte.”
Pedigree Notes
Shamardal's Princess De Lune, who has also produced the Listed Rosemary Stakes winner Zanbaq by Oasis Dream, is a full-sister to the dual Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed sire Puissance De Lune and the G2 Middleton Stakes scorer Queen Power. She is also kin to the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Zabeel Prince by Shamardal's son Lope De Vega and to the dam of Iffraaj's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Coronation Stakes heroine and Stakes producer Rizeena and Kingman's fellow TDN Rising Star Summer Romance who was successful in the G2 Balanchine and G3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes and runner-up in the GI Just A Game Stakes and GI Diana Stakes.
The third dam Serena's Sister, as her name suggests, is a full-sibling of Rahy's multiple Grade I-winning matriarch and champion Serena's Song whose progeny were headed by Storm Cat's GII Oaklawn Handicap-winning sire Grand Reward and G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Sophisticat. Princess De Lune's yearling filly is by Ghaiyyath.
Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
ST JAMES'S PALACE STAKES-G1, £650,000, Ascot, 6-17, 3yo, c, 7f 213yT, 1:38.41, g/f.
1–FIELD OF GOLD (IRE), 128, c, 3, 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
TDN Rising Star. (€530,000 Wlg '22 GOFNO1). O-Juddmonte; B-Roundhill Stud; T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Colin Keane. £368,615. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire, 8-5-1-1, $1,125,294. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Henri Matisse (Ire), 128, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Immortal Verse (Ire), by Pivotal (GB).
O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/Smith/Merriebelle; B-Immortal Verse Syndicate; T-Aidan O'Brien. £139,750.
3–Ruling Court, 128, c, 3, Justify–Inchargeofme (GB), by High Chaparral (Ire).
TDN Rising Star. ($150,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; €2,300,000 2yo '24 ARQBRU). O-Godolphin; B-Nursery Place, Manfuso & Wilhite (KY); T-Charlie Appleby. £69,940.
Margins: 3HF, 3 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.73, 4.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Rashabar (Ire), Officer (Ire), Windlord (GB), First Wave (Fr).
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