Auguste Rodin produced a determined performance under Ryan Moore to win the feature Prince Of Wales’s Stakes on the second day at Royal Ascot.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained 13/8 favourite, who was claiming his sixth Group One success, ran on gamely against the far rail in the 1m 2f contest to repel the challenge of French duo Zarakem (33/1) and Horizon Dore (7/1).
Following his earlier win on Illinois, the victory moved Moore on to the 81-winner mark at Royal Ascot – putting him level with Frankie Dettori in second place behind Lester Piggott (116) on the all-time list – while O’Brien was training the 400th Group/Grade One winner of his career.
Inspiral was slow out of the stalls and was unable to strike a blow after racing at the rear for much of the race.
Auguste Rodin, a son of Deep Impact, had previously claimed big-race successes in the Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf last season.
However, he has also not been the easiest to predict, disappointing as a hot favourite in both the 2000 Guineas and the King George as a three-year-old and on his four-year-old debut in the Dubai Sheema Classic, while he was no match for White Birch on his most recent outing in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Moore said: “He’s a great little horse. OK, a few times it hasn’t happened, but there have been reasons every time. The King George was maybe coming after a hard run in both Derbys, which is a hard thing to do.
Auguste Rodin and Ryan Moore on their way to winning the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
“He took me there, going very well, and when I asked him he really showed great courage. He wanted to win. He’s a proper horse.”
O’Brien also paid tribute to Auguste Rodin and the Ballydoyle team, saying: “I’m so delighted for the lads, he’s a very special horse. He gets a mile and a half very well, but when he gets to the front he waits, so I was probably giving him the wrong instructions all along. We were riding him too far back and when there was no pace, he was too far out of the race.
O’Brien with the Prince of Wales after being presented with a saddle cloth representing 400 Group One winners
“We changed everything, Ryan said he was going to ride him positive from now on and engage him straight away.
“Honestly, I feel the blips were my fault, the instructions were wrong, and it was time to start getting it right. We saw today, when he gets to the front he waits, and then he goes again.
“He has a personality. Good horses, they have to develop a personality. And Ryan gave him a very special ride.
“He can do anything, he can go to America – it’s totally dependent on what the lads want to do.
“We were very surprised when he went to the dirt (working before Breeders’ Cup Turf) how he handled it, he cruises. The great thing about him now is that he’s happy to be ridden forward. Now we’re more confident that we’ve worked him out.”
On a potential clash with this year’s Derby winner City Of Troy, O’Brien played a straight bat, adding: “The lads will decide that, I’m hoping there will be no need.”
