FIRST there was 25-1, then 6-1, then 5-1, 3-1 and eventually 11-4 – bookies simply could not keep up with the surge of cash for John Gosden’s new 2000 Guineas favourite.
Field Of Gold trounced rivals in Newmarket’s Craven Stakes on Wednesday.
GettyLegendary trainer John Gosden could bag his first 2000 Guineas winner with the awesome Field Of Gold[/caption]
One of three Juddmonte colts intially being aimed at the season’s first Classic, he emerged head and shoulders above the rest with a devastating performance.
It’s not often Aidan O’Brien doesn’t have the favourite for a Group 1.
But John Gosden – who has never won the 2000 Guineas – will surely now be licking his lips at the prospect of a monumental first win on Saturday, May 3.
Field Of Gold, the 100-30 favourite ridden perfectly by Kieran Shoemark, scored by three-and-a-half lengths from James Owen’s Wimbledon Hawkeye.
He met traffic problems heading into the famous dip but devoured the ground in front of him to win going away.
With the Guineas run over the same track and trip it bodes well for a fortnight’s time.
And no matter how much O’Brien rates his second-fav Twain, he must have been impressed by what he saw watching on from Ballydoyle.
Punters certainly were, slamming into Field Of Gold’s generous odds after he won.
2000 Guineas odds
Odds via race sponsors Betfred
11-4 Field Of Gold
5-1 Twain
7-1 Shadow Of Light
8-1 Scorthy Champ
10-1 Ruling Court, Expanded, Cosmic Year
14-1 Jonquil
16-1 bar
Ladbrokes were among the layers who were forced into evasive action, slashing their 25-1 pre-race into 3s afterwards.
The firm’s Cal Gildart said: “Impressive barely covers Field Of Gold’s emphatic win at Newmarket, and it’s left a lot of people wondering whether they’ve just seen this year’s 2000 Guineas champion.”
While Coral’s David Stevens said: “Juddmonte already had a strong hand for the 2000 Guineas, with Cosmic Year and Jonquil prominent in the Classic betting.
“But Field Of Gold has overtaken that pair and every other horse in the betting with a Craven Stakes success that had the real wow factor.
“We initially made him 4-1 favourite for next month’s race, but punters thought that was too big, and we were forced to make a further price cut.”
Gosden himself was keeping his feet firmly on the ground, though.
He remarked to Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon that Field Of Gold wasn’t fully fit yet – and added it’s important to remember the Craven is just a trial for the big one.
The legendary Clarehaven boss, who has just taken over training Nicky Henderson’s world-record jumps horse, said: “He has had a good blow.
“This is a trial, it’s not the Guineas and you are not fully wound up for it.
“The idea of the trials is that they are races that put you where you want to be.
“It is lovely to have a horse going for the Guineas and great for Juddmonte as they have both the winner of the Greenham (Jonquil) and this horse so they can be doubled-handed here or they can decide and maybe one will go to France. The family will decide.
“I think Field Of Gold would stay a mile and a quarter but I don’t see him getting a mile and a half.
“One day he might be good enough to run in a race like the Eclipse – we will see.
“He showed a lot of speed and the ground was amazing.”
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