John & Thady Gosden’s Field Of Gold is a hot favourite for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which is off at 3.25pm on Saturday afternoon at Ascot on British Champions Day. However, our GG in-house tipster Steve Chambers is taking on the galloping grey with a 66/1 stablemate that can cause an almighty shock in one of the Group 1 showpieces of the afternoon.
Favourites
Field Of Gold has shown to be a real top-class miler, when on song, but he’s also shown to be a bit of a damp squib when not on a going day. Given too much to do in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, he bounced back to winning ways with dominant wins in the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes. However, he failed to fire when fourth in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, so he’s on a comeback mission here, and you’d be brave to take the relatively short odds available about him winning a third Group 1 of the season.
Richard Hannon’s Rosallion has been dining at the top table in the mile division for a couple of seasons now and he’s another with an Irish 2000 Guineas win on his CV. But, he’s failed to get his head in front this season and has narrowly missed out on victory in both the Queen Anne Stakes and Sussex Stakes. Unable to reel in Docklands and Qirat in those two events, he will need to produce a season’s best here, but the consistency he has shown certainly means he will be fighting out the finish.
Aidan O’Brien last won this back in 2016 with Minding, but the Ballydoyle maestro will unleash The Lion In Winter, who has proven popular in the betting in recent days and is looking to find the form that saw him priced up as the Derby favourite at the start of the season. Unplaced at Epsom he was last seen finishing third in the Prix du Moulin and this mile trip looks to be his optimum, so he’s certainly a classy contender.
Fallen Angel is the form horse taking her chance, as she has racked up a trio of Group 1 wins in the fillies and mares division, but takes on the boys here. Last seen bounding to a two-and-a-quarter length win in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, Karl Burke’s starlet will be looking to emulate that run here, but this is tougher against her male adversaries.
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Champions Day may not officially end the flat season, but the array of riproaring races taking place at Ascot on Saturday brings a conclusive feel which ultimately heralds the return of the jumps. The big players have all been declared too, with 11 runners in contention for the headline contest, the Group 1 Qipco Champion…
Thu 16 Oct 2025The Field
A surprise winner of the Queen Anne Stakes way back in June, Docklands will look to replicate that display on his return to Ascot. A specialist at the Berkshire track, Harry Eustace’s charge has failed to figure on his last two outings, but he’s certainly at his best at Ascot, however, he’s unlikely to be good enough in this red-hot renewal.
Never So Brave has come on leaps and bounds since moving to Andrew Balding’s yard and was last seen landing the City Of York Stakes. Having been victorious in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot four months ago, this is a huge step up from that handicap win, but he’s doing everything right at the moment and has to warrant respect.
Runner-up in this race 12 months ago, Facteur Cheval could be one of those at big odds that causes a stir, but he was well beaten when sixth in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot last time out and will need to improve for the drop back in trip here.
January and Exactly are another two contenders for the aforementioned O’Brien, but that three-year-old duo will find this tough having struggled of late. One that could run a mighty race is another Gosden-trained runner in the shape of Carl Spackler. Well-backed and quietly fancied for the Queen Anne Stakes, the former Australian-trained five-year-old could only finish sixth, while he finished in the same position in the Sussex Stakes on his last race for trainer Ciaron Maher. Now switched to the Gosdens, he’s one that will have the benefit of William Buick on his back, and it’s all about him settling through the early stages. With a big field he should be able to relax through the early part of the race, and if he can do that then he could well unleash a strong challenge in the closing stages.
Verdict
Field Of Gold is entitled to be a warm order, and if he can reproduce his St James’s Palace Stakes run then is the one to beat, but he was disappointing in the Sussex Stakes and is worth taking on. CARL SPACKLER has struggled to settle this season, but with a big field giving him a chance to find some cover then he could be another of the Gosden yard that runs a huge race and at massive odds can bound to a shock win here, with Rosallion in second and Never So Brave in third.
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