Following the three-year-old Classics and the 2025 edition of the Royal Ascot Festival, the John & Thady Gosden-trained Field Of Gold emerged as the biggest talking horse of the season. Following dominant victories in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes, several judges labelled the Juddmonte star not only the best miler in training but also the most promising talent since the magnificent Frankel.
However, not everyone agreed with that assessment. Wiltshire handler Richard Hannon remained steadfast in his belief that the most talented miler in Europe resided not at the Gosdens’ Newmarket yard, but at his own Herridge base. The horse in question is the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned Rosallion.
It may seem strange to label a horse with a zero-from-three record in 2025 the king of the milers. However, there have been mitigating circumstances for those defeats. If judged on his three-year-old form, the son of Blue Point stacks up well against Field Of Gold and the rest. Following a trio of narrow defeats, it appears that Rosallion’s next chance to top the podium may come in France, in the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois.
A Group 1 Winner at Two and Three
Rosallion burst onto the scene in 2023, with his three wins from four starts. His breakout victory came when mastering Ancient Wisdom, Alyanaabi, Dancing Gemini, and Sunway in a red-hot renewal of the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Newmarket. Sent to France for his final juvenile outing, he rounded off his campaign with a win in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at Longchamp.
Well fancied for the 2,000 Guineas on his seasonal return, he ran a cracker to finish second to Notable Speech, when possibly lacking a little race fitness. He went one better in the Irish version of that race before a thrilling last-gasp success in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
Injury curtailed the rest of his season, but hopes were high that he would continue his progress as a four-year-old.
Near Misses in 2025
Having won five of seven outings at two and three, Rosallion is now zero-from-three as a four-year-old. However, with those defeats coming by a combined distance of just under three lengths, he certainly hasn’t run poorly.
| Date | Race | Position | Distance To Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17/5/25 | Lockinge Stakes | 3rd | 2½ lengths to Lead Artist |
| 17/6/25 | Queen Anne Stakes | 2nd | Nose to Docklands |
| 30/7/25 | Sussex Stakes | 2nd | Neck to Qirat |
Running out of steam when third in the Lockinge on his first start in 333 days, he then failed by a nose in the Queen Anne Stakes. The losing streak continued at Goodwood last time out, where he went down by a rapidly diminishing neck in a strange edition of the Sussex Stakes. Clear of Field Of Gold, Ascot conqueror Docklands, and French 2,000 Guineas champ Henri Matisse, he lost nothing in defeat, but couldn’t quite reel in shock 150/1 winner Qirat.
Destination Deauville
Watching that Goodwood race back, it’s easy to agree with Richard Hannon when he states:
“We went into the race hoping we had the best miler in Europe – and we have. That’s the really encouraging thing we can take out of it.”
For now, Hannon’s words are no more than an opinion. However, a win in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on August 17 will lend significant weight to the argument.
Current favourite Field Of Gold is unlikely to take his place in the lineup, having been found to be lame following his Sussex Stakes flop. However, Rosallion will need to find his A-game to repel a field of rivals, which may include:
- Zarigana – Francis-Henri Graffard’s filly is the big home hope for the race following a win in the French 1,000 Guineas and a narrow defeat in the Coronation Stakes
- Camille Pissarro – Aidan O’Brien star with a two-from-three record in France, having claimed the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère and Prix du Jockey Club
- Porta Fortuna – Four-time Group 1-winning mare from the yard of Joseph O’Brien who bounced back to form in the Lanwades Stud Stakes last time out
- Opera Ballo – Going for the boys in blue of Godolphin, this son of Ghaiyyath fluffed his lines in the Craven Stakes but has delivered authoritative victories in his four other starts
Not a straightforward task for Rosallion. However, he is clear of the above runners on ratings and the one to beat as he bids to justify his trainer’s lofty assessment.
