bet365 Craven Stakes report and replay: Field Of Gold Guineas favourite

In a week in which Cosmic Year and Jonquil had carried the same silks to victories that signalled they were live contenders for the Newmarket Classic themselves, the grey son of Kingman produced the most significant performance at all.

He found himself at the rear of the field coming down the Dip, full of running, Kieran Shoemark having to find a way through the entire field.

He did that in style, bringing John and Thady Gosden's to the inside of Wimbledon Hawkeye and he was soon in front.

It's what he did upon meeting the rising ground that impressed most, Field Of Gold thundering clear to score by three lengths and into Guineas favouritism.

Sky Bet, Paddy Power and Betfair go 11/4 having been 7/2 straight after the race.

Co-trainer John Gosden has yet to win the first colt's Classic and said afterwards: "Strangely enough they brought the race over the stands side and immediately you are in a position down on the rail or about eight horses in front of you. Obviously Kieran has done the right thing, which is between the four and the three, as he has got enough horse and he said I’m going to get out, out, out. In the end the field has split. If he didn’t make that move then he would have been boxed in and been beaten.

“He has had a good blow. This is a trial and this is not the 2000 Guineas so you are not fully wound up for this. The race now puts them where you want them and that is the idea of the trials. He went for his girth, and he had a good blow afterwards, but he is entitled to.

“He was as good as gold, but when we put up the jockey he decided to scoot forward and funnily enough he did that in Paris as well last year. I think it is just a trait and we will watch out for it. I think he has been a very calm and sensible horse at home.

“It would be nice (to win the 2000 Guineas), but it is not necessarily something I worry about or think about at all. I suppose Kingman was slightly unfortunate as he went four lengths clear and thought he did enough and got caught late by a very good horse called Night Of Thunder, who has become a top stallion.

“It is lovely to have a horse going for the 2000 Guineas and it is great for Juddmonte as they have both the winner of the Greenham (Jonquil) and this so they are double handed if they want to be. The family will decide whether one comes here or one goes to France.”

Shoemark said: “I just had to wait for the gaps as I had so much horse. I was pinned four back on the rail and it wasn’t an ideal spot, but he got me out of trouble and the gaps came eventually and my God he took off.

“I was a little bit worried if I’m honest as I thought I was short of room, but I fired him into one gap and it didn’t matter if there were three horses or ten horses in front of me he was going to make room I had so much horse.

“It is really exciting at this time of year. The horses are in great shape and to have two leading contenders for the Classic races at this stage is very exciting. It is a great team effort and it is very exciting going forward.

“I said in France he hated the soft ground, Okay, he probably doesn’t want soft ground, but he was more weak than anything last year in that race, so it could have been soft today.

“He was a bit fresh as it was his first run of the year, but he is still growing up. He has been very relaxed in his work, but I wanted to teach him how to race today and he learned plenty.”

Derby the plan for runner-up

James Owen said of Wimbledon Hawkeye who finished second: "I’m delighted with him and it was a good run. He stayed well, but the winner is obviously a fair machine. He has improved from two to three for me.

"We are definitely Derby bound and we will probably take in either the Dee Stakes or Dante on route as a trial I would have thought, but that could change. He was going to come on for today, but I’m pleased.

“The Derby has been the plan all the time, but he has been so well that is why we run him here and second in a Craven is fantastic. He will definitely stay and I thought Harry (Davies) rode him very well.”

Timeform View: David Cleary

Those of us wondering what was stopping Juddmonte from committing the Greenham winner Jonquil for the 2000 Guineas got our answer in the Craven Stakes. Going into the race, there was just 5lb between the top six on Timeform ratings. Afterwards, Juddmonte's Field of Gold was out on his own.

In contrast to one or two of the others in the field, Field of Gold looked to have done well since last season and he looked ready to do himself justice as well. The race went ideally for him. Held up, he was switched off the rail and moved smoothly through with two furlongs to run. Shaken up entering the final furlong he quickened past the leader Wimbledon Hawkeye in the last 100 yards and won going away.

It was close for the places with Wimbledon Hawkeye just holding on to second from Aomori City, another placed at Group/Grade 1 level as a juvenile. Field of Gold's performance in beating that pair so comprehensively looks among the best in the Craven in the last decade and some way in advance of what Jonquil achieved in the Greenham.

While both Juddmonte colts would be worth their place in the Guineas line-up, Field of Gold is the one that sets the standard, his position as favourite fully deserved.

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