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| Royal Ascot News 2006 |
It’s
The Best Of The Best For The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
21/06/06
A racing enthusiast could barely have a more appetising prospect - a Dubai World Cup winner, a Dubai Duty Free and Champion Stakes winner plus a multiple Group 1-winning mare. That’s what the tens of thousands at Royal Ascot will have to savour on Wednesday when the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes will be staged.
Godolphin will be hoping that Electrocutionist can repeat the brilliance he showed in triumphing at Nad Al Sheba in the Dubai World Cup on dirt. The Red Ransom five-year-old was simply superb in scoring by a length-and-a-half on that occasion.
Tomorrow’s Group 1 marks his first start since then and connections are satisfied with his condition approaching the race. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: “We gave him a break after winning the Dubai World Cup. The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes has been his target since then. He has been working nicely and I am happy with him. We will see how he gets on.”
Manton handler Brian Meehan will be aiming to land his first Royal Ascot Group 1 triumph with David Junior. The four-year-old son of US stallion Pleasant Tap made massive progress in 2005, landing four stakes’ races, culminating in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket.
His first run of 2006 was even more impressive as he romped to victory in the Dubai Duty Free on the undercard to the World Cup in Dubai.
Ed Dunlop has opted to send his four-time Group-1 winning mare Ouija Board to the Prince Of Wales’s rather than shoulder a penalty in Saturday’s Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes.
The Newmarket handler said: “The fact that she doesn’t have to carry a Group 1 penalty on Wednesday is the main reason why we’ve decided to go for the Prince Of Wales’s.That is a positive. The potential negative is the trip. She is proven that she is probably better over a mile-and-a-half. Having said that, we were very encouraged by her run over a mile-and-a-quarter in Hong Kong in April.
“She seems well. We’re not going to know exactly how much the Coronation Cup took out of her until she runs. It’’s a very competitive race and we’ll be taking on two of the best – if not the two best – mile-and-a-quarter colts in the world. She deserves to take her chance and I just hope that she runs well.”
In a typically cosmopolitan renewal of the race, France will be represented by two runners. Andre Fabre sends Manduro, who was supplemented at a cost of £25,000 last week, while Corre Caminos will be saddled by Mikel Delzangles.
Last year’s champion trainer Sir Michael Stoute will rely on the improving four-year-old Notnowcato, while Ace - from Aidan O’Brien’s yard - makes up the seven-strong field.
