A fine array of equine talent has been assembled for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the second of four Breeders’ Cup Challenge contests this week at Royal Ascot.
With a prize fund restored to £700,000 after last year’s coronavirus belt-tightening, the G1 highlight is often the foremost race of the entire meeting in terms of pure quality, habitually achieving the highest ratings.
Wednesday’s star-studded renewal looks up to scratch as last year’s four-length winner Lord North faces star Ballydoyle filly Love, making her seasonal debut after a long layoff following her spectacular dual Classic-winning season in 2020.
Throw in Audarya, last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland, Love’s stablemate Armory – and not forgetting veteran dual Canadian International winner Desert Encounter – and the ingredients are there for a quality small-but-select encounter.
Elsewhere on Wednesday’s card, Royal Ascot’s favourite adopted son, Wesley Ward, is out to win the Queen Mary Stakes for the fifth time with 7-length Belmont winner Twilight Gleaming. John Velazquez rides, while Frankie Dettori has the leg-up on fellow U.S. visitor Artos for trainer Rusty Arnold in the same G2 contest.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes: A bit of context
History: established 1862, named after the son of Queen Victoria (later to become King Edward VII). Discontinued after WW2, re-emerged in 1968, the year before current Prince of Wales’s investiture.
Star turn: Dubai Millennium (2000) – magnificent eight-length victory under U.S. legend Jerry Bailey (Frankie Dettori was still sidelined after his plane crash) on final start of Dubai World Cup hero’s injury-abbreviated career, in which he was beaten only once in ten starts.
Most wins (trainer): John Porter (8) Ossory (1888), Watercress (1892), Matchmaker (1895), Shaddock (1896), Manners (1899), Simon Dale (1900), Rydal Head (1904), Plum Centre (1905).
Modern era (since 1973): Sir Henry Cecil (5) Lucky Wednesday (1977), Gunner B (1978), Perpendicular (1992), Placerville (1993), Bosra Sham (1997)
Most wins – jockey: Morny Cannon (6) Matchmaker (1895), Shaddock (1896), Manners (1899), Simon Dale (1900), Rydal Head (1904), Plum Centre (1905).
Modern era (since 1970): Pat Eddery (5) Record Run (1975), English Spring (1986), Two Timing (1989), Batshoof (1990), Placerville (1993)
Breeders’ Cup Challenge
The winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes will receive will receive an automatic fees-paid berth in the Longines Turf at the two-day championships at Del Mar on November 5-6. A minimum travel allowance of $40,000 will also be provided for all starters based outside North America; the Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup programme or nominated by the pre-entry deadline of October 26 to receive the rewards.
Already qualified (1): Cool Day (GP Carlos Pellegrini)
Breeders’ Cup past performance
Lord North was fourth behind Tarnawa in last year’s BC Turf after his breakthrough victory at the royal meeting, while Magical, second to Crystal Ocean in 2019, had filled the same spot against Enable in the 2018 BC Turf.
Fantastic Light (2001) beat the previous year’s BC Turf winner Kalanisi in the Prince of Wales’s before going on to win at Belmont Park. However, the Prince of Wales’s has often produced runners for other BC races, among them Ouija Board (2006), who scored here before claiming the Filly & Mare Turf for the second time.
Duke Of Marmalade (2006) finished down the field when tried on synthetics in the Classic, while fellow Aidan O’Brien-trained winner Highland Reel (2017) was a beaten favourite in the Turf when third to Talismanic at Del Mar; he had won the race 12 months previously at Santa Anita.
Top contenders for 2021
Lord North (John & Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) – impressive in beating Addeybb here 12 months ago but well beaten in subsequent three starts in 2020; back to form to win Dubai Turf in March, though perhaps not the strongest edition of that lucrative Meydan contest.
Love (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) – completely dominant among last year’s 3-year-old fillies, completing Guineas/Oaks double with smashing 9-length triumph at Epsom before making it a G1 treble in Yorkshire Oaks; connections have been delaying her comeback to wait for better ground (missed Arc last year owing to soft ground).
Armory (Aidan O’Brien/Seamie Heffernan) – highly tried and yet to win at G1 level but multiple successes in lower Group company, including impressive display on return in H2 Huxley Stakes at Chester; also second to former stablemate Sir Dragonet in last year’s Cox Plate.
Audarya (James Fanshawe/William Buick) – highly progressive 4-year-old campaign featured pair of G1 successes, at Deauville and then when beating top-class U.S. filly Rushing Fall in BC Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland; set to face males for first time on seasonal debut.
What they say
John Gosden (Lord North’s trainer)
“Lord North is a great character. He’s in good form, and he’s back on quicker ground, which Love has understandably been waiting for. We are talking about a 5-year-old gelding taking on a 4-year-old racemare. She was exceptional last year, but she raced only with her own sex because the Arc was run on such deep ground.”
Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Love
“The plan was to run her in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, but we didn't want to start her off on bottomless ground as we are hoping to have a long season with her. We're very happy with her and she's done very well over the winter. She’s never run over a mile-and-a-quarter, but everything about her would suggest that it should suit her well.”
Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Armory
“We were worried that the ground might be a bit soft for him at Chester, so for him to be so impressive there was very encouraging. He’ll be much better suited by firmer ground. He was a top-class juvenile and had some very good runs last year too, especially in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Cox Plate. He's done very well of late.”
James Fanshawe, trainer of Audarya
“She’s really stepped up since we went back to a mile and a quarter with her and she outstayed them in the Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland – that was just one of those days when everything went right. She was very progressive last season and it makes it quite difficult to pick your first race. It’s a tough introduction for her. You just hope that one day she can take on the highest grade. Whether that should be first run or later in the year is the million-dollar question.”
- Lord North was declared a non-runner on Wednesday morning because of the ground, which was said to be good to firm.