Prince of Wales´s Stakes at Royal Ascot

The Prince of Wales´ s Stakes over 10 furlongs for older horses at 16.45 CET is the only Group One today and the highlight of another excellent card. We well remember the German horse Manduro winning this and being subsequently rated the best horse in the world in 2007. Today´s field is strong, but we cannot imagine any of the runners will be later rated as champion of the world.

French raider Maxios (Jonathan Pease/ Stephane Pasquier) has at least some similarity with Manduro, being by the same sire Monsun and having the same jockey as well as having run in some of the same races. But he is not yet in the same class, although he could certainly be placed here. However the main interest in the race is the renewed clash between Al Kazeem (Roger Charlton/ James Doyle) and Camelot (Aidan and Joseph O´Brien). The latter was odds-on when beaten by the former in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last time and will be thirsting for revenge. Connections sound confident and also have a pacemaker in the field, Windsor Palace (Seamus Heffernan) to help; the stable is in great form and won two races here yesterday, but we still think that Al Kazeem, still lightly-raced after missing much of last year through injury, will win again. He has won both his starts this season in the style of a really progressive performer, If there is a star in the field, it can only be Al Kaze em, as we all know that last season´s 3yo´s - of which Camelot was the best- were generally a poor lot.

Of the other runners, the tough globetrotter Red Cadeaux (Ed Dunlop/ Frankie Dettori) must be mentioned- although we cannot see him winning over this trip against the distance specialists -and also the lone filly in the line-up, The Fugue (John Gosden/ William Buick); but she has not been out since a rather unlucky third at the Breeders Cup more than 7 months ago and we do not fancy her chances today.