Field Of Dream

Field Of Dream did well to win the King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, and he was the winner on merit, despite the fact that he was allowed go off as the 33/1 outsider of the field.

Luca Cumani's colt was the only one of the five who had to race off the near side rail through the early stages of the race, which was almost certainly a disadvantage on the day, and he was actually the first horse to come off the bridle. Ridden along fully three furlongs out, he continued to find for pressure up on the outside of runners, and he didn't wilt even when Dafeef moved him a little further towards the middle of the track as he was engineering a little bit of racing room for himself.

It looked as if the race had developed into a match between Rodrigo De Torres, who had set out to make all, and the favourite Red Jazz as they passed the furlong pole and as Dafeef faded out of it, but Field Of Dream stayed on really well down the outside to get up and win by a half a length.

This is often a good race, it has been won in the past by the likes of Tariq and Jeremy, it is often a good pointer to the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, and it shaped up beforehand to be right up to its usual standard. Red Jazz had won the Free Handicap and finished a more than creditable eighth in the Guineas, just four lengths behind the winner when the mile probably stretched his stamina beyond its limit, and he was certain to be suited by the drop back down to seven furlongs. Rodrigo De Torres was a good juvenile last year, and he gave the useful Meezaan, subsequently fifth in the French Guineas, a good beating on his previous run at Doncaster. The Henry Cecil-trained colt ensured that the race was run at a decent gallop, and it is difficult to claim that Field Of Dream wasn't the best horse in the race on the day. If anything, he can be marked up for this, he probably had to overcome the difficulty of racing away from the rail to win.

Winner of both of his starts in Italy for Bruno Grizzetti, the son of Oasis Dream finished last of eight behind subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Vale Of York in a listed race at Goodwood on his debut for Cumani last September, when he raced too freely, and he didn't shape much better when fifth of six behind Quadrille at Newmarket two weeks ago on his debut this season. This was obviously much more like it. His listed race win in Italy was gained on soft ground, and it could have been that he appreciated getting his toe in a little on Saturday. He is interesting now, he settled a lot easier on Saturday than he had in either of his previous two UK starts, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next, especially if the ground is on the easy side. He may be under-rated on his next run, as 33/1 winners often are.

29th May 2010

© The Irish Field, 5th June 2010

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