Field of Gold strengthened his grip at the top in the race for European Cartier Horse of the Year honors

The Juddmonte grey jumped to the top of the rankings following his impressive victory in the St James's Palace Stakesat Royal Ascot.

Field of Gold winning the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot / ROYAL ASCOT

LONDRES, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- In every season, there comes a moment when Europe’s turf stars begin to separate themselves on the long road to the Cartier Racing Awards, and that turning point appeared to arrive with the brilliant victory of Field Of Gold in the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, a performance that firmly established the Kingman colt as the leading candidate for Cartier Horse of the Year 2025.

With 96 points accumulated in group races, the John and Thady Gosden trainee holds a clear lead both in the overall standings and among Three-Year-Old Colts, surpassing prominent names such as Lambourn (Australia, 60), recent winner of the Epsom Derby, and proven classic milers Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett, 56) and Ruling Court(Justify, 56), both of whom finished behind him in the much-anticipated clash of this year’s English, Irish, and French 2000 Guineas winners.

Field Of Gold, who had previously stamped his class in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (G1), produced his finest performance to date at Ascot, controlling the race from gate to wire with style and authority, confirming his place among the best sons of Kingman, who himself was crowned Cartier Horse of the Year in 2014.

The memorable Royal Ascot for the Gosden team also featured the triumph of Ombudsman (52) in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1), where the Godolphin representative won decisively against a top-class field. The Dubawi colt thus moved into second place in the Older Horse division, behind only France’s Sosie (Sea the Stars, 64), who had previously annexed both the Prix Ganay (G1) and Prix d’Ispahan (G1).

Another highlight of the week for Godolphin was the emphatic revenge taken by Trawlerman (Golden Horn, 56) in the Gold Cup (G1). The 2018-born stayer, runner-up in the race in 2024, reversed the result with an all-the-way victory that now projects him as leader of the Stayers category, ahead of Candelari (Churchill, 34), Illinois (Galileo, 32), and Dubai Future (Dubawi, 30).

Among three-year-old fillies, the battle remains tight. Desert Flower (Night of Thunder, 60), winner of the English 1000 Guineas (G1), holds a narrow lead over Zarigana (Siyouni, 56), who closed the gap with her runner-up finish in the Coronation Stakes (G1) behind Cercene (Australia, 46). The Francis-Henri Graffard trainee also benefited from stablemate Gezora’s (Almanzor, 50) victory in the Prix de Diane Longines (G1) to collect additional points across divisions.

The sprinters also made headlines. In that category, the surprise victory of Time For Sandals (Sands of Mali, 36) in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) vaulted her to the top of the rankings. The Harry Eustace-trained filly, owned by David and Lorrie Bevan, defeated Arizona Blaze (Sergei Prokofiev, 24) and left no doubt that she is ready to take on the established speedsters.

Others who scored important points included American Affair (Washington DC, 32), winner of the King Charles III Stakes (G1), and Lazzat (Territories, 32), who confirmed his promise with a strong victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1).

With several divisions still up for grabs and the summer season entering its most demanding stage, the race for the Cartier Racing Awards promises plenty of drama ahead. But if Field Of Gold continues performing at this level, it will be hard for anyone to dethrone the colt following in the illustrious footsteps of his sire.