Field of Gold wins Irish 2000 Guineas in impressive fashion Field Of Gold made up for an unlucky defeat in the Newmarket equivalent when quickening up impressively under Colin Keane to easily win the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Kingman had been sent off market leader for the first colts Classic of the season having landed the Craven Stakes on his reappearance. However, on the day, he had to make do with second, as Ruling Court stayed on well to hold his late run by half-a-length. With Kieran Shoemark receiving criticism for that ride, connections opted for Irish champion jockey Colin Keane on this occasion. Held up off the pace as Windlord set the fractions under Chris Hayes, Field Of Gold arrived up alongside travelling easily under Keane over a furlong out. As soon as the grey was asked for an effort, he responded in devastating fashion, powering clear for an easy three-and-three-quarter length win over fellow Juddmonte owned Cosmic Year. Colin Keane said: "From the minute I got on him, he was a gentleman. Talking to John and Thady and Kieran this morning, they couldn't say how straightforward he was, to be fair to them. "He jumped, he didn't really need to get in cover. I was on Gavin's girths and, he was lobbing, so I was happy to stay there. We didn't go mad, we went even but when I asked him, he didn't half quicken. "When he went through the line like that, that was as good of a feeling as I've got off a horse for a long time. Just so straightforward and powerful to sit on. "Kieran(Shoemark) said he used to be keen and fresh last year. He has done a marvellous job getting him to relax to be fair now. I've just stepped in for today." John Gosden added: “We did it with his father but I do remember coming here years ago with The Minstrel, when I was working for Vincent O’Brien, and it doesn’t always work out that way. “He’s right up there with his father, I think he’s as good as his father right now. “Juddmonte have wonderful farms here and rear great stock and have a lot of people employed here. They are beautifully managed and controlled by Barry Mahon. “To that extent we have to be thankful to them because good horses don’t drop out of the sky. “He had to come back here to win because this is his home turf. “The Irish Guineas is on a very fair track and I wanted to come here and prove he was a classic winner, so it was very important to come here. “We came here with Too Darn Hot and he finished second so it doesn’t always happen. “I was sorry we got beaten in the English Guineas but he finished so well. “To get on a plane and come here and see something different, they are young horses only three, so he would have learned a lot from this. They grow in stature and in mentality. “It’s probably a very good thing he came here and Colin rode him beautifully. “He seemed very fresh saddling and then we couldn’t find a shammy so we were late to the parade ring. “In truth I was concerned he might over-race with no cover on the outside but I told Colin if he relaxes going down he should relax coming back, and he rode him just right. “I told him ‘you have no instructions, ride it as you find it’. “He rode him beautifully, he’s the best horse and he quickened up well and a very good horse was second to him and Hotazhell was third. “When he quickened he went, he takes two or three strides and he’s off. “It’s good solid form, it was a proper race as good as the English Guineas. No doubt about that at all, probably in the end equal if not better. “The winner of the English Guineas goes to the Derby so that makes it very exciting. “Let’s hope the owners want to go to Ascot and have a look at the St James’s Palace there. “That’s what Thady told me to do so I’ll listen! “Prince Saud is keen to go a mile-and-a-quarter so we’ll hang on a little.” On Colin Keane riding going forward he added:- “I wouldn’t see much reason to change things but those aren’t my decisions. “Obviously Colin knows the horse now so I don’t see any particular reason to change that. Barry Mahon is probably the man who will decide on all of that.” Paddy Power went 5/4f(from 9/4) Field Of Gold for St James Palace and 3/1(from 6/1) for Eclipse. Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
