Sandown Friday
bet365 Mile (Group 2)
THE Group 2 Bet365 Mile saw Field Of Gold sent off at short odds to come back to the form that had seen him take the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes last summer, but he had to play second fiddle to a race-fit Opera Ballo (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) as the Jebel Hatta winner followed up back on home soil to make it seven wins from his nine outings since the start of 2025.
Sent off a well-backed 4/1 shot, Opera Ballo jumped alertly from the stalls before setting a solid gallop.
The race looked open at the top of the straight with all the runners travelling well, but when Buick asked Opera Ballo to lengthen two furlongs out, the response was immediate, and he put distance between himself and the field. Field Of Gold (John & Thady Gosden/Colin Keane) went second inside the final furlong but was still three lengths adrift of the relentless winner at the line, with Zeus Olympios (Karl Burke/Ryan Moore) suffering his first defeat in third having given early chase to Opera Ballo.
Charlie Appleby said: “This horse has always had an engine. William and I chatted yesterday and said we’d let him jump and run, because he’s electric from the gates. This horse is electric out of the gates and Will has always said he’ll take two or three lengths out of them out of the gates. It was a great ride from Will there and a track you could do that on
“Our plan was always to go from here to the Prix Aga Khan IV [formerly the Prix d’Ispahan]. The Lockinge is there for us, but we have Notable Speech for that if the ground is quick.”
John Gosden was happy with Field Of Gold saying: “He’s run a lovely race to finish second and I couldn’t be more pleased by the way he has come there.”
THE Bet365 Classic Trial has a roll of honour that includes the great Shergar, who became the third consecutive winner of the Sandown contest to go on to success in the Derby at Epsom.
This year, Raaheeb (Owen Burrows/Rossa Ryan) was a stylish winner of the Group 3 contest and looks to have booked his ticket to Tattenham Corner by beating Al Zanati (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) by three and a quarter lengths.
A full-brother to Baaeed and Hukum and having just his second career start, the son of Sea The Stars showed some temperament at the start, but was a thorough professional in the race itself, travelling sweetly before going to the front with a quarter of a mile to run and soon stamping his authority on the contest. Hot favourite Action (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) never travelled from an early stage and could finish only fourth, five and a half lengths behind the 5/1 winner.
Sky Bet and Paddy Power but Raaheeb to 8/1 from 20s for the Derby on the back of this display and Rossa Ryan was in no doubt that he would handle the track. Ryan said: “It was pretty straightforward and it all felt right. He has quickened away well and he showed what he has been showing in glimpses at home.”
Trainer Owen Burrows said: “If he had got beat today I wouldn’t have been disappointed as long as he ran a nice race. It was a big learning curve today and we chucked him into the deep end because we wanted to know what’s what and got a nice answer. I don’t want to commit to Epsom at this stage and there’s Ascot and then the Irish Derby, so we will have to see. I don’t think I’ve had one as good as this three-year-old wise and not with his potential at this stage.”
Saddadd too strong
The Group 3 Gordon Richard Stakes saw five go to post with Almeric favoured by punters but the race was dominated by Saddadd (Roger Varian/Ray Dawson), who came in for strong backing to go off at 2/1 and justified that support as he swept through late to pass long-time leader King Of Cities (Karl Burke/Ryan Moore) and win by a length and three-quarters, with the pair pulling well clear of the disappointing favourite in third.
Saddadd was a progressive handicapper last year, winning well over course and distance in August, but was a little disappointing in listed company at Goodwood. He’s clearly developed further given a winter break and has Group 1 options in the Tattersalls Gold Cup or the Coronation Cup.
Varian said: “He is an absolute darling of a horse. You only had to look at him in the paddock. He has got the most delightful attitude.
“He won like a really good horse here in August and although he ran at Goodwood the time after in a strong listed race, he was just not the same horse and I think he needed the winter. He has wintered well and he is a more mature horse. I think we will stay at 10 furlongs. We have him Group 1-entered, you have to dream that he can be a Group 1 horse, but his next race will tell.”