Field of Gold's pacemaker Qirat caused a momentous upset when holding off Rosallion in the July 30 Sussex Stakes (G1) at Glorious Goodwood.
In front of a stunned crowd, Qirat, whose role in the race was to ensure a decent pace for Field of Gold, took up the running under Richard Kingscote from the Aidan O'Brien-trained outsider Serengeti approaching the furlong pole, and that is where he stayed at the line.
Field of Gold finished a well-beaten fourth, one place behind Henri Matisse, as Rosallion got closest to shortening the gap to the ultimate of shock winners as Qirat became the biggest-priced winner of a group 1 in Britain.
The Ralph Beckett-trained 4-year-old, who returned $125.70 in pari-mutuel wagering offered in the United States, was priced at 150-1 with some British bookmakers. He even went off at odds of 269-1 on the Betfair Exchange, despite going into the race unbeaten in two starts at Goodwood.
Although quick to assume his pacemaking role, Qirat had the early lead taken off him after Serengeti recovered from a slow start to be hurried up into setting the pace under Wayne Lordan.
That order remained in the home straight, where the first signs of some sort of upset appeared with William Buick starting to get to work on Field of Gold.
It became clear that the season's brightest light, Field of Gold, was not going to dazzle again as Rosallion caught the eye, mounting his challenge.
However, Qirat had given them all the slip, and he held on by a neck on good turf in 1:37.92 for 1,600 meters (about one mile). A Juddmonte homebred son of Showcasing, Qirat is a half brother to their 2024 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Bluestocking.
Kingscote earned a second recent top-level success after striking at Royal Ascot with Commonwealth Cup (G1) winner Time For Sandals.
"It's turning into a cracking year," said Kingscote, who is soon to depart to Hong Kong. "Ultimately, we were there as a helping hand to go an even gallop and we were somewhat ignored early then took a lead off Wayne.
"This horse likes the track, and Ralph said even though we're here to help, he can do his best.
"I feel like a villain, but when I saw it wasn't a gray nose coming towards me I kept going."
The win in the Sussex was particularly lucrative this year as it grants the winner entry to two North American grade 1 events. As a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event, the Sussex win grants Qirat an automatic, fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Qirat also earned automatic entry to the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Park early next year, as well as a $25,000 travel allowance and other perks for that event through a partnership initiative between 1/ST-owned racecourses and Goodwood Racecourse.
Field of Gold was sent off as the odds-on favorite after producing spectacular performances in the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and St James's Palace Stakes (G1), but he proved a huge disappointment on his first run at Goodwood.
"He didn't seem too well balanced on the track and got a little unbalanced coming out of the dip on the bend, but we're not making excuses," joint-trainer John Gosden said of Field of Gold. "They ignored the pacemaker and paid the price.
"He didn't seem comfortable as soon as William (Buick) asked him. The engine wasn't there, and he didn't fire today. He's having a normal blow and we'll have a good look."
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