Field of Gold bids to bounce back from his shock defeat in the Sussex Stakes (G1) but those closest to the leading miler know he will have to be at his brilliant best to overcome a wide draw in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) Oct. 18 at Ascot Racecourse.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained 3-year-old has been off the track since Glorious Goodwood and returns to the scene of his emphatic success in the St James's Palace Stakes (G1), which came a month after landing the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1).
Field of Gold is drawn in stall 14, which leaves him some distance from stablemate Carl Spackler in 5 and potentially the early pace.
"Field of Gold has had a freshen up since Goodwood and has been training very well into the race," Thady Gosden said. "The sound surface and straight mile should suit him well and he runs well fresh. Hopefully his speed should come into play on the good ground but being drawn on the wing of the field in stall 14 is something he'll have to overcome."
Carl Spackler should be closer to the pace from his stall position. He is having his first start out of Clarehaven in the colors of Yulong Investments. The former Chad Brown trainee and multiple grade 1 winner was purchased privately by Yulong in the spring and made two starts in England for Australian-based trainer Ciaran Maher before being transferred to the Gosdens.
Gosden added: "Carl Spackler is having his first run for us and ran a very solid race in the Queen Anne over course and distance at the royal meeting. He's been pleasing us at home and his best form has been on a sound surface, which is a plus."
Trainer Richard Hannon's Rosallion has done everything but win this season, finishing a narrow second three times at the highest level in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), Sussex, and most recently in the Prix du Moulin (G1) at Longchamp.
The 4-year-old, who was one of last year's standout performers with victories in the St James's Palace and Irish Two Thousand Guineas, has been drawn in stall 15 of 16, next to chief market rival Field of Gold.
"I've been very pleased with him all summer," Hannon said. "He's been very solid and had a nice blow on Thursday morning when Sean Levey came in to ride him. He's moving great and goes there with an exceptional chance.
"He's drawn in 15 of 16, with Field of Gold next to him, and the ground on the straight mile is to his liking, so I'm hoping for a very big run. If he did happen to win, I don't think anyone could say he was winning out of turn."
British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes
Estrange pleased trainer David O'Meara in a key piece of work Oct. 13 to set herself up for Saturday's British Champions day following her late withdrawal from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1).
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned filly is the general 11-4 favorite for the 1 7/16-mile British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (G1) at Ascot, where she is due to face last year's winner Kalpana, who finished seventh in the Arc.
Having had the Arc as her aim for the majority of the season, O'Meara was left "devastated" to have to pull the plug on Longchamp so close to the race. Estrange had been declared to run only to scope dirty following a routine exercise.
The trainer reported his stable star to be back on song Monday with a second crack at a group 1 on the cards for the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) runner-up.
"We worked her this morning," O'Meara said Monday. "Danny (Tudhope) rode her and was really happy with her, and she scoped nice and clean afterwards. She'd be very much set for Saturday, all being well."
Doubts had surrounded Estrange's Arc bid in the build-up until the rain arrived in time, and although she looks unlikely to get her favored soft ground at Ascot, there are no other options for her this season.
"The forecast has got little or no rain in it, but hopefully at this time of year the ground will have enough moisture in it for it to be suitable and I'd suspect it will be fine," O'Meara said.
"I'll speak to connections to see if they're still happy with conditions. It will either be this race or that will be it for the year, so hopefully we get to run as she's in good form."
Estrange has won four of her six outings and started the season with back-to-back wins at Haydock, in the Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes (G3) and then the Lancashire Oaks (G2).
The form of her 3 1/2-length defeat to Minnie Hauk at York was done no harm when the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly got within a head of Daryz in the Arc.
Coral rate Lillie Langtry Stakes (G2) winner Waardah as the main danger to Estrange, with Kalpana next in the betting.
British Champions Sprint Stakes
Wathnan Racing entered a trio of formidable runners in Saturday's 6-furlong British Champions Sprint Stakes (G1), led by antepost favorite Lazzat. While he has failed to seal the victory in his last two starts, a second in the Aug. 10 Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) and fifth in the Sprint Cup Stakes (G1) at Haydock Park, he will be returning to the site of his greatest victory when first over this course in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June.
"He's had a busy campaign and was unreal at Royal Ascot," trainer Jerome Reynier said. "He ran a good race at Haydock, but he was drawn in the middle, and there was a big bias on the stands' rail. He was always under pressure, and that's not the way he is usually, but now he's spot on. We can be really hopeful with him. He doesn't have to go from the front; he just needs to be in a rhythm."
If Lazzat should fail to fire for Wathnan, they still have defending race winner Kind of Blue and group 3 winner Flora of Bermuda, who both finished ahead of Lazzat when finishing second and third, respectively, in the Sprint Cup last out.
Among the key opposition are RP Racing's Big Mojo, who earned his first group 1 win in the Sprint Cup over Wathnan's trio, and No Half Measures, who defeated Big Mojo by a neck in the July Cup Stakes (G1) at Newmarket Racecourse in July but finished ninth last out in the Sprint Cup.
British Champions Long Distance Cup
Upgraded to a group 1 for the first time this year, the British Champions Long Distance Cup (G1) is nevertheless on course to have its joint-smallest field since the meeting was established in 2011.
Six horses, the same number as lined up in 2018, have been confirmed for the 2-mile race, which includes supplementary entry Stay True for the Aidan O'Brien team.
A paucity of quality stayers in Europe has been highlighted in recent weeks, firstly with the Prix du Cadran attracting only three confirmations (although eight horses lined up after supplementary entries), and then the Cesarewitch failing to fill its maximum field at Newmarket on Saturday.
The presence of Godolphin's Trawlerman, one the standout horses of the season who has won his last three starts, including a 7-length romp in the Gold Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot, could also have impacted the size of the the Long Distance Cup field.
The John and Thady Gosden trainee has contested this race each year since 2022, finishing third in his first attempt, winning in 2023, and taking third again last season.
