Godolphin chase sixth Prince of Wales’s prize

Dubai: Godolphin will be bidding for a record sixth success in the £500,000 (Dh2.86 million) Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1), the showpiece event of Wednesday’s day two at Royal Ascot and the joint richest race of the meeting.

The Dubai-owned stable, who won the 2,000m contest in 2011 with Rewilding, send out former French Group 2 scorer Saint Baudolino to challenge the likes of Epsom and Irish Derby hero Camelot and Tattersalls Gold Cup victor Al Kazeem.

A four-year-old son of Pivotal, Saint Baudolino represents Emirati trainer Saeed Bin Surour, who sent out four of Godolphin’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes winners — Faithful Son (1998), Dubai Millennium (2000), Fantastic Light (2001) and Grandera (2002).

Saint Baudolino burst into the upper echelons of French racing when landing the Group 3 Prix de Guiche, the most recognised trial for the Derby, which he then went on to finish in a close second behind Saonois last year. In his only start this year, he finished fourth behind Hunter’s Light in Round Two of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan.

He will be ridden by Godolphin’s retained French rider Mickael Barzalona, who is seeking a first big-race victory at the Royal meeting.

There are three other horses with Dubai connections in the race, including the William Haggas-trained Mukhadram, who represents Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.

The lightly-raced four-year-old colt of Shamardal continued his upward rise when winning the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May, where he pegged back last season’s Derby second Main Sequence by half a length, with Teofilo’s consistent son Miblish back in third.

Miblish reopposes for Dubai owner Saeed Manana, while Afsare carries the colours of the Derby-winning Shaikh Mohammad Bin Obaid Al Maktoum.

However, Al Kazeem, who beat Camelot on his last start in the Gold Cup, appears the one to beat,

Irish champion Aidan O’Brien has also given Windsor Palace, who was third behind Al Kazeem and Camelot at the Curragh, the chance to shine.

John Gosden runs The Fugue, who represents Award-winning British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Prix d’Ispahan winner Maxios carries French hopes, while Andrew Balding saddles Side Glance, who finished fourth behind Animal Kingdom in the Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan in March.

Ed Dunlop’s globetrotter Red Cadeaux is an interesting runner as well.