The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) has long been a proving ground for elite middle‑distance horses. First run at Royal Ascot in 1862 over 1¼ miles for four‑year‑olds and older, the race boasts past winners such as Dubai Millennium (2000), Ouija Board (2006) and Auguste Rodin (2024).
Trainer John Gosdon, a six‑time winner of the event, will be looking to retain the title with Ombudsman, the 2023 victor. Ombudsman must now fend off a challenge from Daryz, the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe champion. Both horses start as joint favourites at 6‑5.
Gosdon, now 75, described the race as a “Win‑and‑You’re‑In” battle for a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on 31 October at Keeneland. “It could be the race of the meeting,” he said. “Daryz is coming over from France – that’s what the sport is all about: top‑class horses meeting in these festivals.”
Prince of Wales’s / Breeders’ Cup Connection
In the last decade, two Ascot winners later captured the Breeders’ Cup Turf, though not in the same year. Both were trained by Aidan O’Brien: Highland Reel won the 2016 Turf at Santa Anita before taking the Prince of Wales’s in 2017, and Auguste Rodin won the 2023 Turf after skipping Ascot, then claimed the Prince of Wales’s the following year before contesting the Japan Cup.
French trainer Henri Graffard is confident in Daryz, who is 7‑for‑9 and has amassed three consecutive Group 1 victories by a total of 27 lengths. Although Daryz was the world’s top‑rated three‑year‑old last season, his most impressive defeat came in August when Ombudsman beat him by 12 lengths in the Juddmonte International (G1) at York.
“It will take a very good horse to beat Ombudsman, but my horse is a champion,” Graffard said. “Daryz has grown stronger and more mature, with a sharp, explosive turn of foot.”
Both owners are among the sport’s elite. Ombudsman races for Godolphin, while Daryz represents the Aga Khan stud, the latter’s eighth Arc winner.
Ombudsman Poised for a Repeat Victory
The five‑year‑old is 8‑for‑11, having recently secured back‑to‑back wins in the Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (G3) at Sandown. Prior to his 2023 Ascot triumph, he had not captured a Group 1, entering that race at 7‑1 odds. He overcame traffic in the stretch to win by two lengths under jockey William Buick.
“He’s a better professional now,” Gosdon noted, who trains the horse alongside his son Thady. “He conserves energy and rides smarter – like an experienced boxer who has learned the craft.”
Buick agreed: “He gives you everything you ask for. At Sandown he gave the field seven pounds and will only improve with loftier challenges ahead.”
Betting Angles: Could an Upset Occur?
While Ombudsman and Daryz are the 6‑5 joint favorites, the field includes credible outsiders. Almaqam (6‑1), a Godolphin colt who won the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) in Ireland, and Minnie Hauk (10‑1), last year’s Arc runner‑up, both present potential surprises.
Minnie Hauk, despite a disappointing fifth place in the recent Gold Cup, has shown quality in a Grade 2 win for O’Brien and a strong finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Trainer Aidan O’Brien attributed her Gold Cup loss to an unfavorable pace, noting that a consistent, even gallop would suit her best.
Top Picks
1. Daryz – French‑trained Arc champion
2. Ombudsman – Defending Ascot victor
3. Minnie Hauk – Potential dark horse
Ed McNamara is an award‑winning racing writer who has covered the sport since 1981 for outlets such as The Bergen Record, Newsday, ESPN and USRacing. He is the author of Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown and Racing Around the World, and contributes to The Most Glorious Crown and The Racetracks of America. His work also appears in French and Italian racing publications.
