We could be about to see something special from a very exciting horse at Sandown
MOST of you reading this will have been told at least once to ‘live life to the full’.
It’s a saying you would imagine most would struggle to oppose.
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But such is the world we live in it’s becoming harder and harder for anyone to live their life exactly as they would want.
The problem is, of course, that the way one person wants to live their life could be completely at odds with another. That’s what makes us humans. We have similarities but we are all different.
Currently the powers that be are doing their best to stop us gambling through ridiculous affordability checks, and this week we learnt they may also try and stop you smoking.
Added to which, if you aren’t rich but you have a child and want to spend any money you do have on sending them to a good school, you will soon be paying more than ever.
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That’s even though many choose to do just that rather than take exotic holidays or have a fancy car. You see, Big Brother is out there to stop you living your life to the full. And there’s not much you can do about it.
At least if you are John and Thady Gosden no-one as of yet has decided to get rid of the joy of the Sky Bet Solario Stakes, the feature Classic trial at Sandown.
The Group 3 contest has been a happy hunting ground for the Gosden team, and the stable have taken it six times, which matches the record of Sir Henry Cecil.
Among the Gosden winners are the Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Raven’s Pass (yes I know it was on artificial, not on dirt, but it’s still in the history books), the great miler and sire Kingman and Too Darn Hot, who was just that in 2018.
Today the Gosden’s send out Field Of Gold, which will make fans of the singer Sting think owner Juddmonte Farms have misspelled the name.
But while the song Fields Of Gold was inspired by the countryside near Sting’s English estate, it’s the lush grass of Esher that today’s Field Of Gold needs to enjoy.
You will understand why Gosden is delighted the Solario – first run in 1947 – remains in the calendar when I tell you Field If Gold is a son of Kingman. So hopes will be high it will be a case of father like son.
There is every chance of that, because while he was beaten under Robert Havlin on debut at Doncaster, he looked an absolute machine with this afternoon’s jockey Kieran Shoemark on board at Newmarket last time.
He stayed on well that day to see off two promising rivals and the fourth horse, Our Terms, went on to win at Ascot next time. Fifth placed Sing Us A Song was a fine third subsequently at Newbury.
Shoemark needs the Gosdens to start producing useful horses for the future. Field Of Gold might just be that live on ITV this afternoon.
Matt Chapman's Saturday ITV Racing tips
Beverley
1.30 Walter Hartright
2.05 Commanche Falls
Sandown
1.50 Accidental Agent (NAP)
2.25 Tamfana
3.00 Sean
3.35 Field Of Gold
Chester
2.40 Revich each-way
3.15 Samui
Not that today’s expected eight runner field will be a pushover. In opposition are the unbeaten pair Royal Playwright and Matauri Bay, representing Andrew Balding and Ralph Beckett.
The former won well at Salisbury first time and is out of the Juddmonte International-winning mare Arabian Queen, while Matauri Bay trotted up at Leicester and cost 500,000gns.
Field Of Gold provides eternal hope for connections, and purely by chance the Charlie Appleby-trained Eternal Hope is in action Stateside tonight at Saratoga in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl.
You might remember Eternal Hope winning the Lingfield Oaks Trial before finishing seventh behind Soul Sister in the main event at Epsom. Then again, you might not!
Anyway, with the Breeders’ Cup just around the corner I keep a close eye in what’s going on in the US and it will be interesting to see how Eternal Hope gets on against War Like Goddess.
The latter was third to Appleby’s Rebel’s Romance in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland and was seventh to Auguste Rodin in the same event last year. In 2021 she was third to Loves Only You in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
War Like Goddess is a decent animal. But she’s seven and won’t be around forever.
For now she is living life to the full. If only we could.
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