PRINCE OF WALES’ STAKES (G1) 2000M (12.45AM AEST)
1 ESTEJO (5h Johan Cruyff – Este by The Noble Player)
2 NEVER ON SUNDAY (4c Sunday Break – Hexane by Kendor)
3 TARTAN BEARER (4c Spectrum – Highland Gift by Generous)
4 TAZEEZ (5g Silver Hawk – Soiree Russe by Nureyev)
5 TRINCOT (4c Peintre Celebre – Royal Lights by Royal Academy)
6 TWICE OVER (4c Observatory – Double Crossed by Caerleon)
7 VIRTUAL (4c Pivotal – Virtuous by Exit To Nowhere)
8 VISION D’ETAT (4c Chichicastenango – Uberaba by Garde Royale)
Tartan Bearer was runner-up in the 2008 English Derby and that gives him a class edge on his Prince Of Wales’ rivals. He won first-up at Sandown in April and is bred to keep improving being a brother English 2000 Guineas and King George winner Golan.
Henry Cecil has won more races at Royal Ascot than any other trainer and he can break a 12 year brought with the Juddmonte Farms homebred Twice Over. The Observatory colt deserves a change of luck after G1 placings in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, English Champion Stakes at Newmarket and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot 12 months ago.
French challenger Vision D’etat won the 2008 Prix du Jockey-Club (G1) and he has been targeted at this contest since his comfortable win in the Prix Ganay (G1) at Longchamp in April.
TIPS: 1 TARTAN BEARER, 2 TWICE OVER, 3 VISION D’ETAT
BETTING: 7/4 Tartan Bearer, 3/1 Vision D’Etat, 4/1 Never On Sunday, 8/1 Twice Over, 12/1 Virtual, 14/1 Trincot, 20/1 Tazeez, 100/1 Estejo.