Friday’s Group Two bet365 Mile looks a decent renewal – and so it should with a nice £93k pot to the winner – and all eyes will be on the return of FIELD OF GOLD, who is on a recovery mission after two defeats at the end of last season.
Field Of Gold The One To Beat On The Ratings – But Can He Bounce Back?
Last season FIELD OF GOLD probably should have won last season’s 2000 Guineas had he been given a slightly better ride by Kieran Shoemark – which turned out to be his last spin on this talented grey.
Colin Keane took over in the saddle and wasted no time in getting Field Of Gold back into the winners’ enclosure with victories in the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot (watch below).
However, despite being sent off as the red-hot 1/3 jolly for the Sussex Stakes, Field Of Gold could only manage 4th in that Goodwood race.
Albeit he was found to be lame on his left hind leg following the race.
But with a similar poor run in the QEII Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot after 2 1/2 months off – the jury is now very much out ahead of his return in Friday’s bet365 Mile at Sandown.
Field Of Gold Favourite To Return To Winning Ways
The John & Thady Gosden grey has still been installed as the clear favourite for the ITV Racing contest, and if you can forgive his last two runs then it’s easy to see why.
Field Of Gold is the top-rated in the field (125) and also gets a handy 3lbs off the next best in the betting Zeus Olmypios and 5lbs from Godolphin’s Opera Ballo.
Gosden’s 4yold has also won before at Sandown (2024) so we know the track is fine.
But despite many things in his favour – the fact still remains he heads into the race having been a beaten favourite in his last race.
Meaning he could be little value around 5/4 – in a race, yes, he should be winning back in grade (Group 2), but also still has plenty to prove.
Trainer John Gosden Looking For Third bet365 Mile Win
If Field Of Gold can return to winning ways, he’d also be providing the Gosden yard with a third bet365 Mile win.
Gosden first won this Group Two back in 1999 with Handsome Ridge, who was ridden by Frankie Dettori.
With his most recent success in the race coming in 2021 with Palace Pier – again with a certain Dettori doing the steering.
Karl Burke and Charlie Appleby Has NEVER Won The bet365 Mile
The main rivals to Field Of Gold seem to be the Karl Burke-trained Zeus Olmypios and Charlie Appleby’s Opera Ballo.
Both horses will be looking to give their trainers a first win in this Sandown contest.
Zeus Olmypios caught the eye of many with four straight wins last season – ending with a 2 1/4-length win over Opera Ballo in the G2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket last September (watch below).
That clash came at level weights too – with both horses carrying 9-2.
But this time Opera Ballo has to give away 2lbs having since improved to win the G1 Jebel Hatta Stakes in Meydan (watch below).
Suggesting, Zeus Olmypios should still have the upperhand.
But Opera Ballo is a proven winner here at Sandown after taking the Heron Stakes at the Esher track last season.
Whereas Zeus Olmypios is running there for the first time, but is rated 5lbs lower than Field Of Gold and also has to give the Gosden horse 3lbs.
Meaning he’s got to find 8lbs of improvement from somewhere if the official ratings are anything to go by.
These are two big rivals to Field Of Gold, so despite being down in grade and getting weight – you feel the Gosden horse will need to be at the top of his game.
William Buick, who won the bet365 Gold Cup in 2016 on Toormore, rides Opera Ballo.
With Ryan Moore riding Zeus Olmypios for the first time, as the former champion jockey looks to add to his sole success in the race (2022, Lights On).
Stalls 1 and 8 Have a Top bet365 Mile Record
A little sub-plot ahead of Friday’s bet365 Mile could be the draw.
Why?
Well, horses from gates 1 and 8 have had a top return since 2017.
Both stalls have been responsible for THREE wins each – meaning a massive 6 of the last 8 winners have hailed from just these two berths.
We’ve only SIX runners on Friday – so no gate 8.
But stall 1 has been handed to Zeus Olmypios – with three of the last four winners coming from the lowest gate number.
Could this give the Karl Burke runner an added advantage?
2025 Winner Dancing Gemini Looking To Become First ‘Back-to-Back’ Winner Since Paco Boy
We’ll also see the return of last season’s winner Dancing Gemini (watch below).
The Roger Teal-trained 5yold powered home under Rossa Ryan, who rides again, 12 months ago – but you feel this year’s renewal is a much stronger race.
He’s rated 118 and that’s 7lbs lower than Field Of Gold.
If Dancing Gemini can defy the odds though – he’d be the first repeat winner of the bet365 Mile since Paco Boy (2009-10).
bet365 Mile Details 2026
📅 Date: Friday, 24th April 2026
⌚ Time: 3:00pm
🏇 Course: Sandown Park
🔄 Trip: 1m
💷 Winner’s Prize: £93,572
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV
bet365 Mile Runners and Betting Odds
- Field Of Gold – 5/4
- Zeus Olympios – 5/2
- Opera Ballo – 13/2
- Never So Brave – 8/1
- Dancing Gemini – 14/1
- Cicero’s Gift – 25/1
Note: bet365 Mile betting odds are subject to change
bet365 Mile Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2025 – DANCING GEMINI (5/2 fav)
- 2024 – CHARYN (9/4 fav)
- 2023 – MUTASAABEQ (4/1)
- 2022 – LIGHTS ON (17/2)
- 2021 – PALACE PIER (4/11 fav)
- 2020 – No race
- 2019 – BEAT THE BANK (7/4 jfav)
- 2018 – ADDEYBB (6/4 fav)
- 2017 – SOVEREIGN DEBT (9/2 jfav)
- 2016 – TOORMORE (7/2)
WATCH: Dancing Gemini Winning The 2025 bet365 Mile
😍 Dancing Gemini wins the Group 2 Mile in tremendous fashion under Rossa Ryan at Sandown for @RogerTealRacing 🏆
Tamfana ran a lovely race under hands and heals, she'll improve a ton for that. pic.twitter.com/02K1QzFUih
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) April 25, 2025
