The fourth race of day two at Royal Ascot is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. First run in 1862, the race has Group One status and is run over 10F for four-year-olds and upwards. The leading trainers currently are Saeed Bin Suroor, Aidan O’Brien and Sir Michael Stoute all with four wins apiece.
It’s a race for the fancied runners with only 2 of the 23 winners this century coming from outside the top three in the betting. Let’s not waste any more time and get on with my thoughts on the runners and see which horses I am backing for my Royal Ascot tips for this race.
Adayar
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick
Winner of the Epsom Derby and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2021. Lightly raced since but showed he retains all of his ability when running out a comfortable winner at Newmarket in May on the soft ground from the subsequent Group One winner Anmaat. Worked well since and looks sure to run a big race.
Bay Bridge
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute
Jockey: Richard Kingscote
Beat Adayar, My Prospero and Baaeed when winning the Group 1 Qipco Champions Stakes over course and distance on Champions Day last October. Placed since in Prix Ganay and Tattersalls Gold Cup, on latter coming home half a length behind the re-opposing Luxembourg having been caught in a pocket on the rails and possibly unlucky.
Classic Causeway
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Jockey: Julienne R Leparoux
American raider who won the Belmont Derby last year at Belmont Park in New York when beating Charlie Appleby’s Nations Pride by 3/4L, beaten on all seven runs since and unlikely to worry the principals.
Luxembourg
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Jockey: Ryan Moore
Winner of Group One’s at two and three and took the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh in May under a wonderful Ryan Moore ride from the front to win another Group 1. Reportedly worked very well since and as the highest-rated horse in the field (just) looks sure to run a big race.
Mostahdaf
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Jockey: Jim Crowley
Consistent over the years earning £1.2 million in prize money. Looked to have improved when taking a valuable Group 2 contest apart at Riyadh in February and was subsequently 4th (beaten 7L) by possibly the world’s best horse Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March. Rated right amongst the principals here and if there is to be a boil over he may be the one to produce it.
My Prospero
Trainer: William Haggas
Jockey: Tom Marquand
This will only be his eighth-ever career run. His best run came when finishing third in last October’s Qipco Champion Stakes finishing on the heels of Bay Bridge and Adayar and may have found the mile of The Lockinge at Newbury on his re-appearance against him. Back up in trip he is capable of running well.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes Betting Tips
A real cracker of a race and one of the best of the week despite its small field. With only officially 2lb between six of the field. Luxembourg seems in a good place at present and with Ryan Moore on board a real bonus can fend off his old foe Bay Bridge with possibly Adayar his biggest danger.
My Prospero will appreciate stepping up in trip after his fourth in the Lockinge and shouldn’t be quickly dismissed either. A tough call but it’s Luxembourg for me.
1 Luxembourg @ 9/4 with Bet365
2 Adayar @ 9/4 with Bet365
3 Bay Bridge @ 4/1 with William Hill
All odds are available at the time of writing.