Field Of Gold to spearhead strong Newmarket squad for Gosdens

It could be both an exciting and informative week for the Clarehaven training team of John and Thady Gosden, as some of their talented collection of three-year-olds take the next steps in their respective careers.

Field Of Gold will fly the flag for the father-and-son duo in Wednesday’s Craven Stakes, with the Kingman colt on course for a mouthwatering clash with Charlie Appleby’s unbeaten Opera Ballo.

The Juddmonte-owned colt produced some fine displays at two, including when winning the Solario Stakes and finishing fourth in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and is disputing favouritism with his Godolphin counterpart for the feature event of Newmarket’s early-season three-day meeting.

“Field Of Gold is going for the Craven and it looks like being a very hot race,” said John Gosden.

“I see Charlie Appleby’s Ghaiyyath colt, who has won impressively twice during the winter, is in the race.

“However, Field Of Gold is ready to come on and he feels in the way that he trains that the mile will be fine, but he could be a mile-and-a-quarter horse in the end.”

Also sporting the Juddmonte silks on the Rowley Mile for the Bury Road operation will be new recruit Nightwalker, who contests the Listed bet365 Feilden Stakes on Tuesday having really caught the eye in three starts for the now-retired Sir Michael Stoute last term.

Gosden continued: “Nightwalker is going to run in the Feilden and he will be an interesting horse trip-wise this season. I have a feeling he will go a fair bit further.

“Like all of our horses, the race will bring them on to where I want them and from both of them (Field Of Gold and Nightwalker), I’d expect to then see improvement.”

The Prince Faisal-owned Kaleido went into many notebooks when second at Doncaster on debut last October and is another possible for local action, with Mishriff’s full-brother slated for the Alex Scott Maiden Stakes, which the stable has won three times in the last 10 years.

Gosden added: “He’s not like his full-brother and he’s not a big horse, he’s quite a slight, neat horse, a different type. I hope he’ll run a nice race and improve for the run.

“It was a nice run at Doncaster (when second) and he will probably run in the seven-furlong Alex Scott maiden at the Craven meeting.”

Bowmark, who won nicely at Kempton on his racecourse bow in early December, holds an entry for the Listed Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on Good Friday, while exciting Frankel colt Damysus – who cost 460,000 guineas as a yearling – could return to the scene of his taking debut on Easter Sunday.

The latter is pencilled in for Southwell’s Weekend Winners On Sky Sports Racing Novice Stakes, with the Wathnan Racing-owned Derby entrant as short as 25-1 in places for Epsom Classic glory.

“He’s probably going to go to Southwell to run in a novice over a mile on April 20,” said Gosden on Damysus.

“He’s a nice type of horse and we will see how he does next time out. He’s a progressive horse and again I think he is going to get further.

“At this time of year, it’s about learning about them and on the whole ours have been running well and if they haven’t, they’ve either not been good enough or have had a genuine excuse – but I’d say they’re running well.”