Area Of Gold lit up the primary day of Royal Ascot with a dominant show within the St James’s Palace Stakes.
John and Thady Gosden’s colt had been a fast-finishing second behind Ruling Court docket within the 2000 Guineas earlier than simply successful the Irish equal, whereas the French Guineas winner Henri Matisse was additionally operating.
There was little doubt who emerged as the very best of the three although, as Colin Keane breezed via on the 8/11 favorite earlier than bursting clear to beat Henri Matisse by three-and-a-half lengths, with Ruling Court docket again in third.
Area Of Gold has now charted the identical route as his sire Kingman, who additionally suffered defeat at Newmarket earlier than gaining Irish redemption and including Royal Ascot glory when educated by John Gosden.
“Like father, like son,” stated Gosden, in reference to Kingman’s win in 2014. “The nerves could have gotten to the coach beforehand however fortunately to not the horse or the jockey.
“It was nice, a terrific efficiency and Oisin (Murphy) did a pleasant job on Windlord setting an excellent tempo and he got here to the pinnacle of the straight and he had a whole lot of horse.
“For a second I used to be pondering ‘whoops, that is Ascot and it climbs and have we gone a bit quickly’. I wasn’t watching him, I used to be wanting again as you at all times need to do right here, however fortuitously not one of the risks had been coming to get him.
“He always impressed as a two-year-old but he was a big boy and slightly outgrew himself. We ran him in France which was a mistake in itself and I should have run him in the Dewhurst and I regret that. But this year he has been exemplary in everything he has done and he’s a pleasure to train because he is a pretty relaxed character.”
Gosden admitted the Irish 2000 Guineas had not initially been a part of Area Of Gold’s supposed marketing campaign, which may affect the place the colt heads subsequent.
He added: “It was never the plan to go to Ireland and he’s had a trial and two Guineas and now this which is a lot of racing and we’re not even halfway through the season yet.
“Perhaps [we’ll] freshen him up now and go to the Sussex, however we’ll see. If we hadn’t gone to Eire, I might have been eager to go to the Eclipse.
“When they win like that and make it look easy they do take a lot out of themselves and I don’t want to be someone seen running him back quick in an Eclipse straight off the back of this.”
