Field of Gold Raise Alarms After Sussex Stakes Run

John Gosden reported that the grey suffered an issue in his left foreleg during the running of the Sussex Stakes

Field of Gold, the favorite for the G1 Sussex Stakes, could do no better than fourth / ROYAL ASCOT

NEWMARKET, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- The G1 Sussex Stakes on Wednesday at Goodwood was expected to mark another glittering chapter in the rise of Field of Gold (Ire), the brilliant son of Kingman whose spring campaign had dazzled with wins in both the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and G1 St James’s Palace Stakes. But instead of a coronation, the race raised more questions than answers, and within 24 hours it was confirmed that the colt had sustained an injury that could explain his lackluster performance.

Everything pointed to a breakout moment. Representing Juddmonte and trained by John and Thady Gosden, Field of Gold was sent off the heavy favorite at 1-3, backed with conviction by punters and public alike. But the reality on the track was far from the Royal Ascot brilliance he’d shown in June. Uncomfortable from the outset, the colt never found his rhythm and faded to fourth as his stablemate and presumed pacemaker Qirat (GB) (Showcasing) pulled off a stunning 150-1 upset.

There were early signs that something was amiss. "The engine wasn’t there," came the first, honest appraisal from the Clarehaven team. And on Thursday morning, Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager, shed further light on the situation. “We don’t have the full picture yet, but he’s lame behind on the left hind,” Mahon said. “John rang me at 7 a.m. and said he wasn’t happy with how he was moving. There’s a bit of swelling, and the vet is going to look at him today.”

The outlook remains uncertain. “Until we’ve done all the diagnostics, we can’t say exactly what it is. The fact he’s lame clearly tells us something’s wrong, but whether it’s something that resolves quickly or something more serious, we just don’t know yet. Sometimes it takes days for these things to show up clearly on scans,” Mahon added.

For now, plans for the remainder of the season are on hold, and the alarm bells are ringing. One of the most exciting sophomores in Europe this season, Field of Gold had been on a path toward even loftier goals this fall. That momentum now depends on how the injury unfolds in the coming days.

Ironically, the setback was made even more bittersweet for Juddmonte by the fact that Qirat, the improbable winner, also races in their colors and was bred in-house. “From Field of Gold’s perspective, it was obviously disappointing,” Mahon said. “But from Juddmonte’s side, the winner is ours too, and homebred, so there’s joy in that. As someone said to me yesterday—it was bittersweet, but mostly sweet.”

As the British racing world awaits veterinary updates, one of its brightest stars enters a period of uncertainty at a pivotal point in the season. And for the team at Clarehaven and Juddmonte, the hope is simple: that the setback won’t prove as serious as feared. Because Field of Gold had already shown he was something out of the ordinary—and losing him for the rest of the year would be a blow difficult to absorb.