At The Races pundit Declan Rix is tipping a former Derby hero as the Weekend Winners team take another look at the Royal Ascot markets.
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the feature on Day Two of Royal Ascot, won last year by State of Rest for Joseph O’Brien and Shane Crosse.
This year it looks a particularly hot renewal, with Luxembourg, Bay Bridge and Desert Crown all returning alongside impressive Epsom winner Emily Upjohn.
But it’s 2021 Derby hero Adayar in the Godolphin colours for Charlie Appleby that has taken the eye of Rix, who thinks the strong pace will likely suit the five-year-old.
“I’m going to go with Adayar,” Rix told the Weekend Winners digital show. “I think it’s a race that’s well-priced up and hard to get value in the bank so I’m just going to keep it simple with Adayar, the Derby winner of 2021.
“He’s a full-brother to Military Order and obviously last year was a bit of a nightmare for him.
“We didn’t see him until September and given then nightmare he had, to go down half a length to Bay Bridge in the Champion Stakes just goes to show the natural ability he has.
Mojo Star, in Amo Racing’s purple colours, chases home Derby winner Adayar
“This season he’s got out early and he’s won. He beat Anmaat but he should’ve beaten him in the Gordon Richards Stakes given he was getting 5lb from him.
“It was a good comeback and the two things this horse wants for me are a strong gallop and fast ground and he probably hasn’t got the two of those since he won the King George when beating Mishriff two years ago.
“I think when this horse gets a fast ground and a strong pace to go at – which will hopefully come with a pacemaker in the Prince of Wales’s at Royal Ascot – he’ll be the horse to beat.”
