This season's Flat hero Field Of Gold spreads the joy on opening day and ensures bookies are kept waiting for their big result

Among the grizzled veterans of the betting ring, where smiles are scarce and every ray of sunshine is wasted on the inmates, there was a fleeting glass-half-full moment as the field went to post for the St James's Palace Stakes. Someone was bending my ear about how disappointing turnover had been on the early action, even allowing for it's being the opening day, but then came the grudging acknowledgement from a front-row layer: "I've taken plenty on this one."

For emphasis, he showed how his right hand was weighed down by a pile of notes, recently received. For the previous 15 minutes, the ring had been respectably busy.

Then his expression clouded over again. "They all want the favourite, though."