Juddmonte colts poised to put Classic credentials on trial

Field Of Gold, Cosmic Year and Jonquil will all get a chance to earn themselves a tilt at the Betfred 2000 Guineas, with the Juddmonte-owned trio being readied for Classic trials in the coming weeks.

Kingman colt Field Of Gold won twice last season for John and Thady Gosden, including a Group Three victory in the Solario Stakes at Sandown, and rounded off his campaign by finishing fourth in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp.

Cosmic Year impressed when winning his only start for Harry Charlton at Sandown in July, while Jonquil also won on his debut at the Esher track for the now-retired Sir Michael Stoute before failing to fire when favourite for Doncaster’s Flying Scotsman Stakes. He is now in the care of Andrew Balding.

Detailing plans, Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon said: “We’ve a few heading to trials. I think Field Of Gold will probably go to Newmarket for the Craven and Cosmic Year and Jonquil could go for the Greenham (at Newbury), so that’ll tell us where we’re going.

“Cosmic Year has only run once so he needs the experience and Jonquil won his maiden and it was a bit of a non-event the next day. With him changing trainer as well, we’d just like to see him on track.

“Field Of Gold is in good shape and could go straight to the Guineas, but I think John is keen to give him a run in a trial and see how he’s progressed.”

The Juddmonte team also have multiple entries for the Betfred 1000 Guineas, including the Ger Lyons-trained Red Letter, who looked every inch a top-class filly when shedding her maiden tag at the Curragh last summer before finishing a close-up fourth behind Lake Victoria in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

She could be joined at Newmarket by Ralph Beckett’s Dick Poole heroine Tabiti, who disappointed on her final juvenile start in the Fillies’ Mile, while the Gosdens’ Southwell maiden winner Zanzoun does not hold a Guineas entry but is considered a horse of significant potential.

“Red Letter, subject to the owners agreeing to it, is probably most likely to head straight to Newmarket, and Tabiti and Zanzoun will both probably run in fillies’ trials,” Mahon added.

“With Tabiti, I think it’s more about learning her trip, whether she’s going to get a mile or not. We probably didn’t conclusively learn that last year.

“Zanzoun won her maiden well and is probably not Guineas level at this stage, but we’ll let her take her chance in a trial and see how we go.”

Red Letter’s stablemate Babouche won three of her four starts last season, including a Group One win against the colts in the Phoenix Stakes.

The daughter of Kodiac was last seen finishing fourth behind Lake Victoria in the Cheveley Park Stakes and holds a Guineas entry, but she looks more likely to stick to shorter distances for the time being.

Mahon said: “That feels like it’s the plan at the minute. We haven’t fully locked it in and she’s just starting to do a bit more now, but I think both Ger and Colin (Keane) felt sprinting was going to be more her cup of tea.

“There’s a Commonwealth Cup trial in Naas and we’ll probably look at something like that and see are we going to go down the Commonwealth route.”