Prince of Wales Stakes Day Review

Matt Rigby | Metropolitan Racing | Mon 24 October, 2011

Race 1:

It's another jump and run early type for the Miller, Bell and Meadowcroft combination in Miss Solis that won the first. She was long odds on and won in good fashion. The run of the race was probably Fuddle De Duddle, a half sister to Hallowell Belle. She sat wide with cover and finished off stylishly. Miami Horror led and battled away well. Miss Solis looks like she'll be put away for the better two year old races next year.

Race 2:

Ron's Call was all the rage in the bookies ring and didn't have any early muster, settling back in the field. Big Clint pulled his way forward and was the first horse gone as Ron's Call worked around them to sit three wide and challenging on the bend. He was just too good in the run home. My Bonny Lad and Lord Hatras had every chance, while the hard luck story was Venetian Prince, buried back on the rails and having to weave his way through the field. Nothing would have beaten Ron's Call however and the price looked justified in hindsight.

Race 3:

In a disgracefully slowly run race, Coolism hacked away in front with Galinba Blast to his outside. Rosie Rocket took the one by one and with the 1.32 pace being set out in front, the favourite Kenbon was going to find it tough. Mio Fratello was ridden identically for three of his wins at Ascot last year, whipping around them and hitting the front at the top of the straight. Masters pulled out and just sat there, wide no cover. By the time he tried to take off, they had sprinted and Mio Fratello was gone. Oscar Wildly was the best of the beaten brigade, and I'd be forgiving Kenbon and waiting for a race with better pace. Galinba Blast was ordinary.

Race 4:

Veracious was crunched in the bookies ring despite three failures this campaign. When he jumped straight to the lead, the huge support made sense! Great'n'grey got to the breeze and was the first horse under pressure. Gum Nut Guru was well back in the run, in front of only Western Jewel. Even Gum Nut Guru looked to be struggling round the bend but he knuckled down well with Aaron Rogers riding like a demon, to nose out the heavily supported Veracious. The hard luck story was Western Jewel, yet again, flashing home to finish fourth. The tempo seemed ok, but the track was probably her enemy. She could easily have won her last two with any luck. Pintada Prince had every chance in finishing third.

Race 5:

This was a case of the coolest ride winning the race. Soonest led them and set a slowish pace with Senhor Da Gama pulling, third the fence. Jappaloop, Mr Moet and Come Party all settled back with the heavily backed Fortescue Flyer in the box seat, one by one. Pike took off before acceptors, hitting the front well before straightening while Mr Moet and Come Party struggled to accelerate, bumping heavily round the bend. This left Jappaloop to work up nicely inside them, pulling off heels and running away from them on the line. The best runs were probably Mr Moet, which is looking for further, and Fortescue Flyer, who went way too early. Jappaloop won with ease while Senhor Da Gama just whacked away and went much better ridden aggressivley last week. Perhaps Pikes ride on Fortescue Flyer would have been better suited to Senhor Da Gama?

Race 6:

They backed Westriver Kevydon like it was past the post. He was always going to be the only leader and he did get it easy in front, with Triple Ken the only one to challenge and the first horse gone. Ginsberg's fate was sealed at the start when Harvey eased back and then went to the fence. It was an impossible position to be winning from with the prevailing pace. Monaco Prince sat wide without cover and ran a good race while The Widder, Sky Magic and Athena's Me Mum were never going to be suited, getting back off a moderate pace. Westriver Kevydon shot it to pieces, dashing away at the top of the straight. Monaco Prince was the best run of the race.

Race 7:

Werd jumped to the front in the Prince of Wales, as was expected with Waratah's Secret hard on the steel, pulling up to his girth. You could see round the bend that Waratahs was bolting, as long as he hadnt exerted too much energy. Power Princess loomed in the straight with Harvey hard at work inside and Knuckey sitting quiet as a mouse. She had little left in the final 200m however. Werd battled away for a few hundred then fell in a heap late. King Kool Kat took off way too early and was put into the race at the top of the straight. The best run in this race outside of the winner was probably Kid Choisir, who came from an impossible position back on the turn to finish off the best of anything. Grand Nirvana had every chance third the fence and nearly nailed Waratah's on the line. A great race where the top six finished withing two lengths of each other.

Race 8:

In a race full of 1000m speedsters, The Entourage skipped to the front with relative ease and was then able to get a breather mid race, just enough to enable him to tough it out over Celebration Girl, who got the pie run, and the wayward Freetime, who sat outside him. The back markers were all ordinary, including Noname City, Jay Jay Makster and Impatient Times, who were all entitled to get closer. Rocking The Blues was the best run outside of the top three, running on from well back on the fence and finishing stoutly. Timely Queen showed none of the dash that she had with Simon Miller and was off the bit at the half way mark just to hold her position, third the fence. The Entourage showed he had the goods in March this year, narrowly going down in the listed WATC Stakes.