Field of Gold Assessed as Lame After Goodwood Shock
Field Of Gold’s Royal Ascot Aspirations Halted by Injury
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Plans for Field Of Gold, the celebrated winner of the Classic and Royal Ascot, have been put on hold after the three-year-old was found to be lame following a disappointing performance in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
A Shocking Turn of Events at Goodwood
Sent off as the overwhelming 1-3 favourite, Field Of Gold was expected to follow in the footsteps of his sire, Kingman, by excelling against older horses on the Sussex Downs. Though, the Juddmonte-owned colt could onyl manage a fourth-place finish. The race was instead dominated by his pacemaker, Qirat, who caused a seismic upset at odds of 150-1, delivering a important shock to racing enthusiasts.
The “Engine Wasn’t There”
In the immediate aftermath of the Sussex Stakes, the training team of John and Thady Gosden suggested that Field Of Gold’s “engine wasn’t there.” This observation has now been potentially explained by a physical ailment.
Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte, confirmed the concerning news: “We don’t have the full picture yet, but he is lame on his left-hind.” he elaborated on the situation, stating, “John called me this morning at 7am and said he was ‘off’ behind with a bit of swelling in his leg and the vet is due out to see him later today so until we have the full picture we can’t fully diagnose it.”
Mahon expressed that the lameness strongly suggests a reason for the colt’s uncharacteristic performance. “But the fact he is lame suggests that could potentially be why we didn’t see the true horse that we certainly know yesterday.We just have to sit tight now until the vet can run through all the tests he can run through.”
Uncertainty Surrounds Field Of Gold’s Return
The severity of Field of Gold’s setback remains undetermined, leaving his next competitive appearance uncertain. This news casts a shadow over what has been a standout season for the talented three-year-old.
“Plans are on ice and the thing with these things is, it might be a week before anything will show up on an X-ray or whatever, so it’s not something you will have an answer for straight away,” Mahon explained. “but the fact the horse is lame indicates there is an issue and we have to address that. What that is and whether it will be a short fix or a long fix, we just don’t know at this stage.”
A Day of Contrasting Fortunes for Juddmonte
Despite the disappointment surrounding Field Of Gold, the Juddmonte team experienced a day of mixed emotions, with Qirat’s unexpected victory providing a significant silver lining. Mahon reflected on the contrasting outcomes,stating,”It was disappointing from a Field Of Gold point of view,but from a Juddmonte point of view the winner is a home bred and won it in good style and there has to be some satisfaction in that.”
He concluded with a sentiment that captured the bittersweet nature of the day: “As someone said to me yesterday, it was bittersweet but there was still plenty of sweet.” The racing world now awaits further updates on Field Of gold’s condition and his eventual return to the track.