Prince of Wales’s Stakes Betting Tips

Prince of Wales’s Stakes Preview: Tips, Betting Offers and Odds

The big Group 1 contest on Royal Ascot’s second day is the prestigious Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Here we take a look at the best odds and offers available, as well as providing our betting tips for this top class contest.

First run in 1862, this Group 1, 1m2f event is restricted to runners aged four and older and offers a massive £750,000 in total prize money.

Prince of Wales’s Stakes Previous Winners

  • 2019 – Crystal Ocean – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
  • 2018 – Poet’s Word – jockey James Doyles, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
  • 2017 – Highland Reel – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2016 – My Dream Boat – jockey Adam Kirby, trainer Clive Cox
  • 2015 – Free Eagle – jockey Pat Smullen, trainer Dermot Weld
  • 2014 – The Fugue – jockey William Buick, trainer John Gosden
  • 2013 – Al Kazeem – jockey James Doyle, trainer Roger Charlton
  • 2012 – So You Think – jockey Joseph O’Brien, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2011 – Rewilding – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni
  • 2010 – Byword – jockey Maxime Guyon, trainer André Fabre
  • 2009 – Vision d’Etat – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Eric Libaud
  • 2008 – Duke of Marmalade – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
  • 2007 – Manduro – jockey Stéphane Pasquier, trainer André Fabre
  • 2006 – Ouija Board – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Ed Dunlop

Prince of Wales’s Stakes History

Whilst the Prince of Wales’s Stakes has been run at Ascot since 1862, that early version of the race bore little resemblance to the contest which we know today, being a 1m5f event for three year olds only. Those conditions held until 1940, when the race experienced a 28 year hiatus following the Second World War. On its return to the Royal Ascot offering in 1968 the distance was reduced to its present length of 1m2f and was open to all runners aged three and older. The final major alteration came in the year 2000 with the granting of Group 1 status coinciding with the race now being restricted to runners ager four and older.

One of the best and most versatile performers of the 19th century winners here was 1876 hero Petrarch. Bred by Mr Gosden and owned by Mr Spencer, a couple of names which have been associated with racing success in more recent times, the colt had the speed to win a Middle Park Plate, the class to win a 2000 Guineas and the stamina to land this race, the St.Leger Stakes and the Ascot Gold Cup.

1881 winner Iroquois will forever remain in the history books as the first ever Derby winner to have been bred in America. It wasn’t all about the Derby that year as the colt proved dominant wherever he went, winning this race, the St. James’s Palace Stakes and the St. Leger in addition to his Epsom success. These exploits and the resultant popularity of the horse are credited as having had a significant impact on the growth of racing in the USA.

This race also provides a fine example of how successfully horses can pass ability down the generations. Bayardo won here in 1909, 24 years later the race was taken by his grandson Hyperion and six years after that in 1939, one of Hyperion’s sons, Heliopolis, came home in front.

With horses being allowed to run in this contest beyond their three year old campaign, due to the change in conditions when the race re-emerged in 1968, it is now possible for a horse to win the event more than once. Connaught became the first dual winner of the race when taking back to back editions in 1969 and 1970. As of 2015, only Mtoto and Muhtarram had managed to repeat this feat.

There aren’t many top class contests at around this trip where the name of Brigadier Gerard does not appear on the list of previous winners. The legendary colt duly won this in 1972. The Brigadier is far from the only superstar to have scored here, with wonder fillies Bosra Sham and Ouija Board, as well as the greatest Godolphin horse of them all, Dubai Millennium featuring amongst a stellar cast of former heroes.

Plum Centre’s victory in 1905 was the sixth for jockey Morny Cannon and eighth for trainer John Porter. No jockey or trainer has managed to match these totals since.