No negatives for Los Angeles in Prince of Wales's Stakes
For many the Prince of Wales's Stakes is the highlight of Royal Ascot and with Los Angeles a worthy favourite this year, the race looks well up to standard.
Aidan O'Brien's charge won the Irish Derby last season and went on to be a meritorious third to Bluestocking in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, when attempting to make all the running.
Already a Group One winner this season, when he had the reopposing Anmaat behind him in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, he looks to have a rock-solid chance.
'He's just as happy over 10 or 12 furlongs, that's what we've always thought with him. He's only run over 10 this year and he's been happy,' said O'Brien.
A special performance from Los Angeles, who found another gear to reign Anmaat back in, handing Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore the Tattersalls Gold Cup 👏 @Tattersalls_ie pic.twitter.com/wEX6Ct3rXc
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) May 25, 2025
'In the first half of the season this race was always the plan and he seems in good form since the last day, everything has gone well up to now.
'He's run on all types of ground, it all comes alike to him
'He's very happy to have competition for the lead, there'll be pace on, everybody knows that. He needs a strong run mile and a quarter, we all know that, and he loves a battle.'
Owen Burrows' Anmaat is now seven but last year's Champion Stakes winner proved at the Curragh he is still as good as ever. Connections would not want the ground to be too fast, however.
'We will be keeping an eye on the ground. We've declared with a view to running but if the lads came in and said it was riding very quick, we'd have to talk about it,' said Angus Gold, of owners Shadwell.
'He is our star of the year and we have to do the right thing, we need him for the end of the year as well as now but he's second favourite for one of the biggest races at Royal Ascot, so we want to run while he's in good form. I very much hope we'll be there.
'I don't want to be seen to be making a fuss, I'm a great believer in fast-ground horses being able to have their ground, it's just he's had his issues and we don't want to do anything to jeopardise him – but we're hoping to run.'
Reflecting on his previous issues, Gold said: 'He's a testament to a lot of people and the horse himself. What he had two years ago would have finished a lot of horses, so the fact that not only was he able but also willing to come back from it is a huge credit to him. He's been a star for us.'
John and Thady Gosden's Ombusdman lost his unbeaten record in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes to Almaqam but enhanced his reputation and goes up in class again.
🥊 Almaqam vs Ombudsman!
Classy performance from Almaqam to land the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes @edwalkerracing | @oismurphy | @Sandownpark | @StarSports_Bet pic.twitter.com/4IZPZgd8xq
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 29, 2025
'He got a little bit tired in the ground and the winner is a very smart horse who was getting 3lb from our horse and got the run of the race,' said John Gosden of the Godolphin runner.
'Our horse had to come from off the pace, but Ryan (Moore) was very pleased with him. We had the question of whether we go to the Wolferton or the Prince of Wales's, but the owner was pretty keen on this race.
'You are basically looking at the Tattersalls Gold Cup form for a guide to the race and then there's a nice French horse (Map Of Stars), so we'll see how we get on.'
The aforementioned French horse is Wathnan Racing's Map Of Stars, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and only beaten a neck by the high-class Sosie last time out.
'He's a colt we've held in high regard the whole way along and both times he has been beaten it has probably been through no fault of his own,' said Wathnan's Richard Brown.
'He will probably go on the ground and James (Doyle) said when he won the Prix d'Harcourt, it was pretty quick that day and he showed a good turn of foot so that's what we hope we'll see again.
'The Sosie form from the Ganay looks red hot and he has since come out and won the Prix d'Ispahan and is one of the favourites for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. It's high level form, but he will need to improve again to win a Prince of Wales's.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS King Charles III's horse Reaching High is well-beaten in the Ascot Stakes on the first day of royal race meeting
King Charles III's horse Reaching High was well-beaten on the opening day of Royal Ascot, as Ascending won the Ascot Stakes by a head. The horse, ridden by Ryan Moore, was the hot favourite before the runners set off at the historic Flat race meeting, at 11/4 to claim the £57,000 first-place prize ahead of going to post. Trained by National Hunt superstar trainer Willie Mullins, Reaching High was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II out of Estimate, who won the Ascot Gold Cup in 2013. Reaching High is the first horse owned by a reigning British monarch to be schooled in Ireland. Mullins retained the honour of Champion Trainer in April at the end of the National Hunt season, after beating rival Dan Skelton on the final day at Sandown. Reaching High was unsettled ahead of the race, and had to be led into the stalls on a sweltering hot day at the historic racecourse. He has only run once this season, beaten in a photo finish by Not Just Any Eagle at Leopardstown. For much of the race, Reaching High was mired in the mid-pack by the right-hand rail, as Liari led the runners around the two-mile, four-furlong circuit. Moore jostled for position after the final turn, but could not find a route through as Ascending pulled away, dogged by Nurburgring, who finished second. Comfort Zone finished third, followed by Leinster, and Divine Comedy in fifth place.
Telegraph
39 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Royal Ascot Day 2 tips: ITV Racing selections
Day two of Royal Ascot features the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, plus three Group 2 contests and we have verdicts and tips for all seven races. The action is on ITV1 (1.30-6pm) and ITV4 (5.50-6.30), as well as Sky Sports Racing. If you're thinking of placing a multiple bet, check out these Lucky 15 and each-way suggestions for day two. If you already have a William Hill account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts Royal Ascot Day 2 tips – Ron Wood's selections NAP: Shackleton (3.05, Ascot) @ 3/1 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐ Next best: Old Is Gold (6.10, Ascot) @ 11/2 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐ Others: Lennilu (2.30, Ascot) @ 15/2 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐ Cinderella's Dream (3.40, Ascot) @ 7/4 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐ Ombudsman (4.20, Ascot) @ 9/2 with William Hill ⭐⭐ Silawi (5.00, Ascot) @ 20/1 with William Hill ⭐⭐ Julia Augusta (5.35, Ascot) @ 22/1 with William Hill ⭐⭐ Odds provided by William Hill and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (maximum five). 2.30 Ascot – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2, 5f) This big-field two-year-old fillies' contest could go to the US-trained LENNILU, who has won both of her starts in the States, most recently a turf race at Gulfstream Park that was won two years ago by Crimson Advocate, who then landed this event. 3.05 Ascot – Queen's Vase (Group 2, 1m 6f) A low draw is handy in this race, so SHACKLETON (NAP) looks well berthed in stall three, and he's a likely improver for Aidan O'Brien, who has trained five of the past 10 winners of this race. Shackleton was a beaten favourite in a Group 3 race over 1m 2f at the Curragh on his reappearance, but this step up in trip is in his favour. 3.40 Ascot – Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2, 1m) CINDERELLA'S DREAM has strong claims even under a 3lb penalty. She steps down in trip but has a good change of pace and most of her main rivals ideally want further. This Charlie Appleby-trained filly was as good as ever in winning the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes over 1m 1f at Newmarket on her previous start. 4.20 Ascot – Prince of Wales's Stakes (Group 1, 1m 2f) There's not much to choose between a few of these, but maybe OMBUDSMAN is the answer for John and Thady Gosden. He won his first four starts last year and the form of the last two of those victories, gained in France, is good. Indeed, when he won a Longchamp Group 3 in September he had Map Of Stars behind him in fourth and that horse is about the same price as him for this race. Ombudsman was beaten into second place in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on his reappearance, but he was conceding 3lb to a good winner and the first two pulled clear. He should be better for that outing. 5.00 Ascot – Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap, 1m) SILAWI won well at Windsor on his recent stable debut – when returning from five months off – and he's still well weighted under his penalty. He's dropping down from 1m 2f, but his proven stamina is no bad thing in this big-field contest up the stiff straight track and this well-bred five-year-old, who is by Dubawi and out of a dual Group 1 winner in Silasol, may be capable of his best performance yet. 5.35 Ascot – Kensington Palace Stakes (Class 2 Handicap, 1m) JULIA AUGUSTA, who finished sixth in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at this meeting last year, faces a lesser assignment now and she shaped well enough at Epsom on her reappearance to think she could be the answer in an open fillies' handicap. 6.10 Ascot – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) OLD IS GOLD (NB) shaped well on his debut when third over course and distance and he confirmed that promise when winning a decent race at Beverley in a sharp time, going half a second quicker than a fillies' race over the same trip. The runner-up from the Beverley race is in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes here on Thursday and the third horse was a respectable seventh in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes on Tuesday. Last year's winner of the Beverley race went on to win the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes. In addition, Old Is Gold's trainer Andrew Balding saddled the winner of the Beverley event in 2022, Chateau, who went on to finish fourth in the Windsor Castle Stakes, and there's a fair chance this selection can go a few places better. Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence If you want to find more odds and offers, take a look at our list of the best betting sites and free bets Check out our list of the best casino bonuses in the UK
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Dettori to ride at Ascot again in the future? ‘Never say never'
The 54-year-old left the UK riding ranks in 2023 when he initially announced his retirement only to reverse that decision and begin a new life in America. Speaking to ITV Racing, the Italian said: 'I'm good, I flew here on Sunday after riding in Kentucky, it's my daughter's birthday, you know I love Royal Ascot. 'I still have the little devil in my ear saying 'one more time'. When I was driving here I was thinking how I missed it so much. 'Never say never, at the moment I didn't think it was appropriate to do it but who knows in the future. It's nice to be here and it's amazing racing through the week. 'I've got a different vibe today as I'm usually stressed out thinking about the racing but I'm seeing it from the other side of the fence. 'I'm all good at the moment, but there's a little tear in my eye that I'm not riding. Never say never! 'America is a new challenge to me, it's all new and at this stage of my career I'm having to prove myself again, it's a new experience'
