Lord North aims for repeat Prince Of Wales’s triumph

The second day of Royal Ascot is headlined by the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, with Dubawi’s five-year-old son Lord North bidding for back-to-back triumphs. This feat hasn’t been achieved since Muhtarram in 1994/95 and only three times since the Pattern began. He is joined in the race by his paternal half-brother My Oberon and both will be looking to extend Dubai Millennium’s excellent affinity with the race.

Dubai Millennium set pulses racing in 2000 when breaking the heart of Sendawar and recording an eight-length triumph. Since then, his sire-line has produced three winners from the past eight runnings through Dubawi’s two sons, Al Kazeem and Lord North, and Poet’s Word, a grandson of Dubai Millennium.

Darley first season sires are again to the fore in the two juvenile Stakes races. 

Opening the card is the G2 Queen Mary Stakes and the aptly-named Quick Suzy, a daughter of Profitable, heads over the Irish sea to the Berkshire track. The Gavin Cromwell-trained filly boasts excellent form already after only being run down later in the G3 Naas Fillies’ Sprint. She is joined in the race by Choux, a daughter of Exceed And Excel, and Poppy Petal, a filly by the late Fast Company.

The second juvenile Stakes contest of the day is the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes and the exciting Ruthin, a daughter of Ribchester, looks to hold outstanding claims. A thrilling six-length winner on her only start at Keeneland, a meet trainer Wesley Ward unleashes his very best, the form has worked out very well and she looks electric. She is one of two Ribchester’s in the field, with Flaming Rib looking to improve on his last time out second in the Woodcote on Derby day at Epsom.

She is joined in the five-furlong contest by two sons of Profitable, Barging Thru and Home City, and an exciting Brazen Beau colt called Boonie.

The second race of the card is the G2 Queen’s Vase for staying three-year-olds. Golden Horn has a brace running for him through the Mark Johnston-trained Golden Flame and the John & Thady Gosden runner Law Of The Sea. They are joined by Dubawi’s son Kemari, like Law Of The Sea owned by Godolphin, and The Queen’s homebred colt Pied Piper (New Approach).

Fillies and Mares contest the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes over the straight mile at 3.40, a race Darley stallions have sired three of the previous five winners.

Heading to post are two daughters of Dubawi in Onassis, winner at the meeting last year, and Fooraat, a full-sister to the brilliant Benbatl. The consistent Queen Power, a daughter of Shamardal, comes into the race on the back of an eight-length G2 victory at York, while none are more progressive than Exceed And Excel’s four-year-old daughter Double Or Bubble.