Royal Ascot Tips: Wednesday Q&A including Prince Of Wales's Stakes

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Fri June 13, 2025 · 1d ago

Our team of experts answer some of the key questions following the six-day confirmations for Wednesday's racing at Royal Ascot.

The 10-furlong division looks pretty hot right now – who wins the Prince of Wales’s Stakes?

Andrew Asquith: I’m of the opinion that the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat can reverse Tattersalls Gold Cup form with Los Angeles. He ended last season by beating Calandagan in the Champion Stakes at this course and he ran just as well in defeat on his seasonal return at the Curragh. Anmaat travelled powerfully on that occasion, looking the likely winner as he entered the lead in the final furlong – he traded at 1.12 in-running on Betfair – only to see the tenacious and race-fit Los Angeles battle back close home. He’s likely to strip fitter for that outing and his strike rate is really hard to argue with.

John Ingles: I like the Gosdens’ unexposed Ombudsman here. He probably went under the radar when unbeaten last year given his two biggest wins came in , having Map of Stars behind him at Longchamp, but I reported on both those races when he gave the impression he’d go on to better things this season. There was no disgrace in having his colours lowered by Almaqam in the Brigadier Gerard on his reappearance when still showing signs of inexperience and he’d be a big threat if taking another step forward for that run.

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Matt Brocklebank: The Tattersalls Gold Cup form is obviously well represented and I'd expect Los Angeles to just about confirm his superiority over Anmaat and the likes of White Birch if he turns up. That's probably in doubt given the scorching forecast next week and I was just so impressed by See The Fire last time that she's got to come right into the picture. She absolutely destroyed her rivals at York (replay below) and could turn out to be the surprise package of the season, certainly in this division anyway.

Does anything stand out at this stage in the Royal Hunt Cup?

Andrew Asquith: My Cloud is the obvious one, but he’s currently number 55 on the list for a race with a maximum field of 30, so he may not get a run. One horse who is guaranteed to and made a promising reappearance is Volterra. He bolted up in a handicap over seven furlongs at this course on his final start last season, producing a performance rarely seen in a high-end handicap, and his performance was also backed up by the clock. Volterra travelled well in the John of Gaunt Stakes on his comeback run, leaving the impression he has even more to offer, and he should be competitive back in handicap company from a mark of 102, while his entry in the Sussex Stakes next month suggests connections think he’s better than just a handicapper.

John Ingles: The way My Cloud is progressing, it wouldn’t surprise you if he ends up in pattern company before much longer and as a half-brother to top-class miler Palace Pier he’s certainly bred for better things than handicaps. He did well to complete his hat-trick narrowly at Newbury last time when overcoming the run of the race but had been impressive over Ascot’s straight mile in an apprentice race prior to that so we know he handles the track.

Matt Brocklebank: Well, there's enough to choose from after the 72 horses were confirmed! I'll be keeping my powder dry until the day before when we'll know the draw and final field too obviously. I'm absolutely convinced that Sisyphean is still a very well-handicapped horse but will he sneak in (needs 9 or 10 to come out), and are they definitely going to run here rather than wait for the John Smith's Cup back at York next month? I reckon he'll land on a nice pot either way this year.

Is there a two-year-old on the radar for Wednesday at Ascot?

Andrew Asquith: I think Zelaina knocked everyone’s eye out when making a winning debut at Nottingham the other day and she looks most exciting in the Queen Mary. Karl Burke has used that novice race as a stepping-stone to the Queen Mary more than once, and Leovanni duly won 12 months ago. She looks very promising and she notably has the Timeform 'Large P' attached to her rating, denoting she’s open to significant improvement. The raw speed she showed was very eye-catching and the timefigure recorded gives the bare form extra substance. It will take a good one to beat her you’d imagine.

John Ingles: There seems to be plenty of confidence behind Karl Burke’s impressive Nottingham winner Zelaina in the Queen Mary but she could prove very short in a big field of unknown quantities. Ralph Beckett’s Society Kiss won well over course and distance on her debut last month for first-season sire A’ali who won the Norfolk at this meeting, and she could be an interesting alternative to the likely favourite.

Matt Brocklebank: Miss Yechance, who is in both the Group 2 juveniles races on Wednesday and changed hands for £250,000 guineas in midweek (stays with trainer Jack Morland). She won tidily on debut in a small race at Redcar last month and is likely to be a big price wherever she rocks up but I wouldn't be shocked to see her outrun her odds.

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Give is one other horse you’re looking forward to seeing on day two…

Andrew Asquith: Amiloc is a horse who I've been really impressed with this year and he looks very interesting in the Queen’s Vase for me. He confirmed himself a smart performer when making a successful return over a mile at Goodwood, a trip short of what will prove his optimum, and he could hardly have won any easier upped in trip in the Cocked Hat Stakes last time. He could also run in the King Edward VII Stakes later in the week, but he has plenty of stamina in his pedigree, and he certainly wasn’t stopping at Goodwood. He’ll be a most interesting runner wherever he turns up at Royal Ascot.

John Ingles: Like Andy, the unbeaten gelding Amiloc makes plenty of appeal to me if stepping up in trip in the Queen’s Vase where hopefully he’ll fare better than the same connections’ Pride of Arras did in the Derby. Amiloc is rated 7lb behind his stablemate at present but entries in the Eclipse and King George suggest he’s held in equally high regard. However, as a half-brother to Brimham Rocks who won over this trip, he’s bound to appreciate this greater test of stamina after storming away with a listed race at Goodwood last time.

Matt Brocklebank: Fallen Angel looks to have been geared towards the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes all throughout the spring and I can excuse her the comeback run in the Lockinge when pitched in against proper Group 1 miling colts. I expect her to strip much fitter for the outing and prove very hard to beat at this slightly lower level back against the fillies.