Rewilding shades it in Royal Ascot thriller

Godolphin broke back into the Royal Ascot spotlight yesterday afternoon as Rewilding hunted down the Australian giant So You Think in a captivating Prince of Wales's Stakes.

With two easy victories in Ireland since his transfer to Aidan O'Brien, this was billed as the day of reckoning for So You Think and at the home bend he was poised to justify his position as the 4-11 favourite.

But in a scenario reminiscent of races a decade ago when Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin and the O'Brien-Coolmore team regularly staged head-to-head clashes through the likes of Fantastic Light and Galileo, there was to be a stunning conclusion.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ryan Moore's authoritative move past the pacemaker Jan Vermeer began to tell and Frankie Dettori was in full pursuit, gradually making up around three lengths in the last couple of furlongs and nudging a neck in front on the line.

"That was probably the best fight I've been in for a while - the two horses wanted to win and they are two great champions," said Dettori, whose usual excitement at a big-race win seemed heightened, but will later have been tempered as the stewards ruled he had hit Rewilding 24 times inside the final two furlongs and banned him for nine days.

"My fellow has not had the credit and he showed what he's made of. He showed what a fighter he is. I've only got three days here this year (due to suspension] and the Prince of Wales's is one of the great races of the year. To win again is a thrill, and I'm overwhelmed."

Dettori was already banned for the last two days of the Royal meeting after picking up a ten-day suspension in the Oaks, and this latest ban, for using his whip with excessive frequency, means he misses the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on 2 July and the first day of Newmarket's July meeting.

So You Think collected a slew of major races Down Under and much had been made of the comments his former trainer Bart Cummings, perhaps not in all seriousness, uttered about the lower standard of European racing.

Rewilding was backed into 17-2 from an opening 12-1 and he is now a winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Great Voltigeur Stakes as well as a third place in last year's Derby.

Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford explained: "He needs to be very fresh - after the Voltigeur he ran no race in the St Leger. The race went perfectly as there was plenty of pace and Frankie let him get into a rhythm.

"We'll have to talk to Sheikh Mohammed, but you'd look to coming back here for the King George. There are lots of options for later, including the Champion Stakes."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Boylesports quote Rewilding at 9-2 for the King George, while Coral offer both the winner and runner-up at 8s for the Arc.

O'Brien was notably candid about So You Think, admitting: "I will take responsibility for this personally. After he won his first two races so easily I had gone easy on him."Trainer Richard Hannon and son-in-law jockey Richard Hughes, successful with Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday, had another memorable day. The pair teamed up to win the Jersey Stakes with Strong Suit (11-1) and the Queen Mary Stakes with Best Terms (12-1).

Today's big race is the Gold Cup and, with last year's victor Rite Of Passage sidelined through injury and plenty of question marks over the staying abilities of favourite Fame And Glory, Duncan is napped to land the spoils. The two-and-a-half-mile race is far from easy to read but Duncan's connections will take plenty of heart from his recent Yorkshire Cup win and hope jockey William Buick comes up trumps again.

Related topics: