Prohibit kept the G1 King’s Stand Stakes on home soil against an international field of short-course stars on opening day at Royal Ascot.

Prohibit (6g Oasis Dream – Well Warned by Warning) burst through a gap to defeat Australian sprinter Star Witness, Hong Kong mare Sweet Sanette and Budapest Bullet Overdose.

Based at Six Mile Bottom in Cambridgeshire, Prohibit gave his trainer Jim Cowell the best day of his racing life.  “I’m overwhelmed,” Cowell declared.  “He’s game and he thrives on racing.   It’s awesome.”

Bred by Juddmonte Farms, the winner has been on the go since the beginning of the year.  He won the Dubai Trophy at Meydan in February and was last seen when beaten a head in the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene at Chantilly.

At his last start at Ascot, Prohibit had won the Shergar Cup Dash in August 2010.

His sire Oasis Dream (Green Desert) is based at Juddmone Farms and has quickly cemented himself as one of Europe’s leading young sires with 8 Group 1 winners to date.  

The King’s Stand winner is a half-brother to the French stakes winners Prior Warning (Barathea) and Emergency (Dr Fong).  

Star Witness missed the kick and was a clear last out of the barriers.  Steven Arnold believed the Starcraft colt would have been right in the finish if given a tow into the race.  Trainer Danny O’Brien will wait until later in the week before deciding whether to back up in the G1 Golden Jubilee this Saturday.