Prince of Wales's Stakes

[Posts: 3573Joined: 08 Jul 2009, 22:10Location: Wexford]

There's a great entry for this but I'd say a few of Aidan O'Brien's entries are purely precautionary. Await The Dawn is due to run at the Curragh this weekend and if he goes to Ascot it will probably be for the Hardwicke. I can't see Excelebration being stepped up. St Nicholas Abbey would interest me if he runs, last time out he looked like he was back to his very best. I know it was a weak race but he tore them asunder and the old spark seems to have returned. I don't think a drop back to 10f would greatly inconvenience him. However, the King George looks his likely target, where he'll be hard to beat imo.

So You Think is likely to be Ballydoyle's main hope. I said last season after the Eclipse that he looked a better horse when waited with. After the Tattersalls Gold Cup Aidan mentioned Joseph told him that the horse should be ridden for speed, so he will probably be waited with here, as opposed to how he has been ridden in most of his starts in this hemisphere. He won't have things all his own way though.

Cirrus Des Aigles beat him in the Champion Stakes and also won the Dubai Sheema Classic. He's a very high class horse and is probably the horse they all have to beat. He was ran down by Golden Lilac last time out over 9f but there's no shame in that. Planteur was just behind him that day, he's looked back to his best this year after a couple of below par efforts at the end of last season. He's won a Group 1 and placed in four more so if he runs up to his best the rest will have to be on their A-Game.

Of the rest, Reliable Man looks the most interesting. Reliable Man was spanked first time out by Cirrus Des Aigles, but was much closer last time out in what was a bunch finish. He hasn't been at his best so far this season but it's only last year he was winning a French Derby and a Prix Niel. If he comes back to that sort of form he'll be dangerous.

Carlton House and Treasure Beach have form closely linked, with Treasure Beach getting the better of Sir Michael Stoute's horse on both occasions they have met. I doubt Treasure Beach will run to be honest and I've always thought Carlton House was more bark than bite, through no fault of his own. A certain amount of hype comes with being owned by the Queen, not to mention a horse who was sent of favourite for the Derby in her colours. I'll be taking him on here as I thiknk he needs to step up markedly on what he has produced so far on the course.

[Posts: 2032Joined: 06 Jun 2011, 14:34Location: Bury St Edmunds]

This is a true championship race in that the winner has quite often put up their career best performance in winning. Since it was elevated to group 1 status only Byword has gone into the race without a victory at the highest level. However he was sent off favourite on the back of a half length defeat by Goldikova in the D'Ispahan and was rated at 124.

The 5-day entries will be interesting.

[Posts: 3440Joined: 06 Jul 2007, 11:38]

I make So You Think one of my bankers of the meeting. Hopefully, he'll atone for last year's upset.

[Posts: 725Joined: 24 Jan 2001, 21:35Location: Essex/London, sometimes Berks]

I keep going around in circles with this race. I just have a gut instict that Carlton House has been laid out for this for ages & is going to be ready to run the race of his life. He could be one of the few horses in the race who still has a bit more improvement & progression in him.

Problem is, you look at the quality of the opposition & the level of form many of them have already achieved. Carlton House could run his best race ever....and there's a fair chance it may not be good enough to even get him into the frame.

I'd like to take a chance with him & back him EW, but if most or all of the top entries turn up, I'm not sure if he's any value at less than 10/1 ?

[Posts: 12304Joined: 22 Dec 2007, 19:24]

Farhh catches my eye for an each way bet @ 12/1. Trouble is there's nobody jocked up yet and Godolphin have Barca on City Style. So has anyone heard if he's a definite runner? Nothing I can see significant on the Godolphin website either.

Ran away with a good handicap on soft ground last time. Lightly raced and improving fast. If improvement is maintained could well be up to surprising a few.

[Posts: 6539Joined: 21 Oct 2008, 00:37]

Farhh catches my eye for an each way bet @ 12/1. If improvement is maintained could well be up to surprising a few.

Yeh me for one,he's got no bloody chance! Thirsk Hunt Cup winners might win a erm.............Hunt Cup but a 'Prince of Wales'? Not a prayer Ginge! Carlton House has been laid out for this and will beat the great big Cart horse 'So You Think',no problem at all!

[Posts: 12304Joined: 22 Dec 2007, 19:24]

Farhh catches my eye for an each way bet @ 12/1. If improvement is maintained could well be up to surprising a few.

Yeh me for one,he's got no bloody chance! Thirsk Hunt Cup winners might win a erm.............Hunt Cup but a 'Prince of Wales'? Not a prayer Ginge! Carlton House has been laid out for this and will beat the great big Cart horse 'So You Think',no problem at all!

I've just backed Cirrus Des Aigles @ 5/2. Hopefully the betfair price (less than that) suggests he's a starter. Agreed, I too want to be against SYT at that price. The French horse should be favourite. Will back Farhh at double figure prices a little closer to the off. Hasn't had much racing and may be fragile.

Carlton House may have been laid out for this Gord, but like Farhh needs to improve quite a bit to beat the two favourites. Price is way too short and more to do with who the owner is than "form". Farhh didn't just win the Hunt Cup, he obliterated the field under 9-2 (9-7 adding the claimer's 5lb) by 6 lengths described by Racing Post as "very impressive". Carlton House is 4/1, Farhh is 12/1, it's the big "V" Gord, "Value", shouldn't be that big a difference between the two. If he runs, take it from me Gord, on a soft surface Farhh won't start any bigger than 8/1.

[Posts: 133Joined: 17 Jun 2011, 03:21]

This is the race of the carnival - the best 2 middle distance turf horses in the world locking horns again (if team fwankel had any nuts they'd be in this too)

Hope it's a true and proper race and not a staged stamina test with some greyhound up front bounding along at the speed of light like they always do over there. Turn of foot is a talent just as valuable and spectacular as is stamina and I've got zero clue why uk racing is so obsessed with making everything an exhausting slog.

Looking forward to it big time !

[Posts: 3983Joined: 03 Feb 2006, 11:39Location: Sacramento,CA.]

Jerry Bailey says someplace that the truly great horses have a turn of foot at the end no matter how the race is run.(see Sea the Stars)

[Posts: 133Joined: 17 Jun 2011, 03:21]

Jerry Bailey says someplace that the truly great horses have a turn of foot at the end no matter how the race is run.(see Sea the Stars)

Well then can we erase Frankel's name from the list of greats based on him getting the staggers over the final furlong last year at this meeting?

[Posts: 3440Joined: 06 Jul 2007, 11:38]

Not much gets my blood boiling, but the attitude of some of the Australian posters on here leaves a lot to be desired.

A massive collective chip on their shoulders perhaps.

If I had my way, I'd ban them all. A bunch of arrogant, moaning sweetie wives.

I hope Black Caviar gets stuffed.

[Posts: 6539Joined: 21 Oct 2008, 00:37]

Not much gets my blood boiling, but the attitude of some of the Australian posters on here leaves a lot to be desired.

A massive collective chip on their shoulders perhaps.

If I had my way, I'd ban them all. A bunch of arrogant, moaning sweetie wives.

I hope Black Caviar gets stuffed.

My word somebody got out the wrong side of bed this morning! He's really not Himself this morning!

[Posts: 4682Joined: 12 Mar 2008, 23:07Location: Taunton Somerset]

Keep it up for another 6 months Himself and not only will everyone vote you poster of the year, the Aussie contingent will get you the villain award for a nice double aswell.........

This looks a cracker of a race. If the rain continues how will it affect SYT? He strikes me as a better performer on a sound surface.