Royal Ascot: Prince of Wales´s Stakes (Group One, 1 1/4 miles)

Todays´ card at Royal Ascot is not quite as glittering as yesterday´s, but looks much harder for punters. Every race yesterday was won by a strongly backed runner, but it will be a surprise if the same thing happens today. Main event is the Prince of Wales´s Stakes at 16.50 CET, the only Group One event today. The Ullmann family won this in 2007 with Manduro and has another chance now with Wiener Walzer (Jens Hirschberger/ Adrie de Vries), last year´s German Derby winner. He ran an excellent race last time in the Prix d´Ispahan, when 3rd to Goldikova and Byword; he was 10 lengths behind the latter, who is likely to start favourite today, but is expected to finish much closer this time. The distance is more suitable and Byword was fitter in Paris. The fast ground will cerainly suit Wiener Walzer and he could be a nice each way bet at the likely long odds. Byword (Andre´Fabre/ Maxim Guyon) is trained in France for Khalid Abdullah and the same owner also has Twice Over (Henry Ce cil/ Tom Queally) engaged. This one won the Champion Stakes last year, defeating Mawatheek (Marcus Tregoning/ Richard Hills) by half a length, and ran another good race whn third in the Breeders Cup Classic; he flopped on his only start since, in the Dubai World Cup, but that form should not be taken seriously although he did finish a long way behind Allybar (Mahmoud al Zarooni/ Ahmed Ajtebi). Godolphin´s other runner Cavalryman (Saeed bin Suroor/ Frankie Dettori) was third in the Arc last year for Fabre and should go well now, despite a disappointing effort last time.

Presvis (Luca Cumani/ Kiern Fallon) is another problem horse, as he needs to be held up until the last possible moment and normally gets himself into trouble as a result. He certainly has the ability, but has been racing all over the world and possibly needs a break now.

Glass Harmonium (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore)was a winner at this distance at the 2009 Royal Ascot meeting, but this is a much tougher race, while the Aga Khan´s Shalanaya (Mikel Delzangles/ Christophe Lemaire) has a chance if she can repeat the form shown in the Prix de l´Opera last October, but Byword seems the main French hope. and wherever he is, the German runner should not be far behind.