A win in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in Britain in June clinched Field of Gold’s status as one of the finest 3-year-old milers in Europe. A win in Saturday’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at the same venue can restore his reputation after a disappointing fourth in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in July. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Field of Gold was found to be lame the day after the loss at 1-3 in the Sussex, his debut against older horses. Field of Gold has not raced since, and he will not necessarily have an easy outing in the $1.56 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which drew a big field of 16. Field of Gold will be ridden by Colin Keane, who was aboard for wins in the St. James’s Palace Stakes and the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas in May, but missed the mount in the Sussex while serving a suspension. As of Thursday, Field of Gold was the 2-1 favorite in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and will start from post 14, with two well-accomplished rivals in Rosallion (4-1) and Fallen Angel (8-1) also gaining support. Rosallion, who starts in post 15, won the 2024 Irish 2000 Guineas and St. James’s Palace Stakes in what turned out to be his final starts that year. Trained by Richard Hannon, Rosallion is winless in five starts this year but has been somewhat unlucky along the way. In Group 1 races at a mile, Rosallion was third in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May, second by a nose in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, second by a neck in the Sussex Stakes, and second by a short head in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in Paris on Sept. 7. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Fallen Angel, a 4-year-old filly trained by Karl Burke, has swept Group 1 races for fillies and mares at a mile in her last three starts – the Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August, the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown in September, and the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Oct. 4. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is her first start against males since a sixth-place finish in the Lockinge Stakes. She starts from post 8. Sprint draws strong field The best betting race among the Group 1s on the Ascot program is the $755,600 British Champions Sprint Stakes, with Lazzat (9-2), Big Mojo (5-1), Montassib (13-2), and Kind of Blue (7-1) at the head of the market in a field of 20 as of Thursday. Lazzat’s biggest win this year was the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Ascot in June, followed by losses in Group 1 sprint races at Deauville and Haydock Park in Britain. Big Mojo won the Group 1 Haydock Park Sprint on Sept. 6 in a 16-1 upset for his first win at the highest level, finishing 1 1/4 lengths clear of 12-1 Kind of Blue. Lazzat was fifth by 2 1/2 lengths as the even-money favorite. Kind of Blue won the 2024 British Champions Sprint Stakes. Montassib, winner of the 2024 Haydock Park Sprint, has started only once this year, finishing third in a Group 3 sprint at five furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on Sept. 20. Montassib recovered from a slow start to lose by 2 1/4 lengths. He could play the role of upsetter in a slightly longer race on Saturday. Kalpana leads fillies and mares Kalpana won the Group 1 British Champions Filly and Mare Stakes at the end of a 2024 season that included two other stakes wins, and she is back in the same race at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday as the 3-1 favorite despite going winless in five starts this year. The losing streak is not as grim as it may seem. Kalpana was second by a length in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes against males at Ascot in July, and seventh by seven lengths in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct. 5. In the $713,600 Fillies and Mare Stakes, Kalpana is part of a field of 10. Her main rival is Estrange, who was second in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks in August, a loss that ended a three-race winning streak in stakes since last November. Trawlerman heads Long Distance Cup The Group 1 Long Distance Cup at about two miles drew only five runners, led by Trawlerman, who will be an odds-on favorite. Trawlerman has won his last three starts, including the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup at 2 1/2 miles in June. The $713,600 Long Distance Cup is the first of seven races on an Ascot program that begins at 9:55 a.m. Eastern or 6:55 a.m. Pacific. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.