Featured winners High Stock (11/2) & Spanish Voice (7/2)

Field of Gold ended a thirty two year wait for John Gosden as the big grey son of Kingman won the Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday. The former champion trainer won the one mile event with Emperor Jones in 1993 but has endured a lean spell since. Last season's Solario Stakes winner had got bogged down in the testing conditions at Longchamp in October and produced a sparkling reappearance under Kieran Shoemark. Held up in last position, the Juddmonte owned runner picked up strongly entering the dip before powering clear inside the final furlong to score readily by three and a half lengths. The 2000 Guineas over the same C&D (3rd May) will be next and the Clarehaven representative threatens to be even better on faster ground. The previously unbeaten Opera Ballo pulled his chance away by failing to relax and racing far too keenly during the first half a mile. Similar to Sallaal on Tuesday, he had nothing left at the business end. Once learning to settle, he is likely to be stepped up to ten furlongs. 

Otherwise, the featured horses in Ahead On The Flat had an excellent day with the Andrew Balding pair High Stock (11/2) and Spanish Voice (7/2) providing his in form trainer with a double on the Rowley Mile. The first named, who is featured in the Unraced Three Year Olds section, landed a sizeable gamble. Available at 14/1 when first priced up, the highly regarded Dubawi colt travelled strongly before running on well to prevail narrowly under David Probert. On page 55 of AOTF, his trainer commented: "He is a very nice unraced horse who looked good in his work last year. An injury prevented him from running but he is in fast work now and could start off in the Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes at Newmarket (16th April)." You can't say fairer than that.

Probert was once again at the wheel aboard stablemate Spanish Voice (Maidens In Waiting) and the Welshman gave the son of Lope De Vega a terrific front running ride. Unraced for Sir Michael Stoute, he shaped with an abundance of promise on his debut at Kempton last backend and is well thought of at Kingsclere. Entered in the Dante and Epsom Derby, he made all in the ten furlongs novice stakes and soon established a healthy advantage by halfway. While that distance was rapidly diminished entering the final furlong, the Balding found enough to hang on by half a length from Top 40 entry Push The Limit. Both the winner and runner-up look useful prospects and it is worth remembering the second was conceding seven pounds to Spanish Voice. Unlike the Balding team, Ralph Beckett's string have yet to engage top gear - 2 winners from 19 runners during April. Twelve months ago, the Kimpton based handler only sent out one winner from 29 runners in April 2024. From May onwards, they never looked back. 

The Kevin Ryan trained Grand Grey (11/1) is highlighted in the Stable Switchers section in AOTF (page 123) and the ex-French colt ran a blinder on his first start for his new connections in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes. Purchased for €340,000 at the Arc Sale in October, the four year old was held up in a steadily run event before powering home under Jamie Spencer. Hitting a top speed of 41.06mph, the northern raider covered the penultimate furlong in 10.90 seconds, according to Race Iq - the fastest of any runner in the race. Denied by half a length by the racefit French runner Sajir, he is entered in the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes (14th May) and could line up on the Knavesmire next month. He looks a fine addition to his Hambleton stable.

Away from Newmarket, Value Racing Club continued their fine run of form with Nibras Gold producing a gutsy performance to win the twelve furlongs handicap at Beverley. The seven year old was having his first run for James Owen and his first run on the Flat since October 2021. A dual winner over timber for David Pipe, he made all the running fending off a host of challengers inside the final quarter of a mile. Scoring by half a length, the Golden Horn gelding was his syndicate's first winner with the Newmarket trainer. It won't be their last either.

Finally, my eyecatcher of the day is Gallant who stayed on to finish fourth in the opening three year old six furlongs handicap at HQ. Below par on his reappearance at Lingfield last month, the son of Hello Youmzain was another held up before making good late headway. A half-brother to former stablemate and Listed winner over a mile Straight Right, he has yet to race beyond six furlongs and can improve when tackling further. Rated 85, he is handicapped to win off such a mark.

If you haven't ordered a copy of Ahead On The Flat or the Updates, please head to the Publications section of the site. The likes of High Stock (11/2), Consecrated (5/2), Gladius (100/30) and Serenity Prayer (2/1) have all won on their racecourse debuts during the last seven days - the quartet all got very favourable mentions by their respective trainers in AOTF. None of them will have featured in any other horses to follow publications.