So You Think wins in style

So You Think wins the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in fine style, defeating Carlton House, Farrh and Reliable Man. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

So You Think put up a fine performance to win the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, race three in the QIPCO British Champions Series Middle Distance category, at Royal Ascot this afternoon.

Last year he suffered an agonising defeat in the race at the hands of Rewilding, but he made no mistake today.

When The Queen’s runner, Carlton House, came to challenge over a furlong out there were roars from the stands as a Royal winner to mark the Diamond Jubilee became a fleeting possibility.

Ex-Australian champion, So You Think, swiftly put paid to those hopes, however, powering clear to win by two and a quarter lengths, with Carlton House holding on for second from the fast finishing Farhh. French raider Reliable Man was fourth.

It was Aidan O’Brien’s sixth QIPCO British Champions Series victory of the season – he has won a remarkable 50% of the races run so far – and he continues to dominate the Trainer of the Series table with 150 points, a massive 110 clear of last year’s top Series trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, on 40.

Of the six races he has not won, he had the runner-up in two (the JLT Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes, both with Excelebration), while he did not have runners in three races (betfred.com Temple Stakes, Sportingbet Yorkshire Cup and King’s Stand Stakes).

Only in yesterday’s St James’s Palace Stakes, where Power was badly hampered, has he had a runner and failed to make the first two.

It was a fourth victory for Aidan’s son, Joseph, taking him to 105 points in the Jockeys’ table, well clear of Ryan Moore on 50 who picked up 10 points for Carlton House’s second place.

The winning tainer said: "We expected a big run today, we felt like we had him in a place that he was never in before with us, which is incredible.

"I think we’ve had him a year and a half and it’s taken me that long to learn how to train him.

"We went back and listened to what everybody was saying about him, listened to what Bart (Cummings, former trainer) was saying and telling us what to do and what not to do. We listened at the end.

"We felt he was in a place today he’s never been in before.

"I was delighted to hear what Bart had to say as he was speaking from the heart and I was probably over-working the horse and galloping the speed out of him instead of letting him be natural.

"Everyone was of the opinion before we got him that he was all speed but I started off on the wrong leg with him and tried to make him stay a mile and a half and did too much with him.

"We knew we only had a few runs left (before retiring to stud), maybe today and Sandown (the Coral-Eclipse) to get him back, so we listened to them and Joseph and the lads were confident it was going to come.

"It will be the boys’ decision when he goes to stud, but Sandown is in our head as a cut-off point. We’ll be pleading hard now that we have him in this place, but it’s a business decision.

"We’re just delighted to get him back and all I can say is sorry it took me so long to get him back to where everyone in Australia said he was. If he wasn’t such a great horse I’d have made a right mess of him.

"He’s one of those special horses that can travel and has class.

"We were delighted with the ride he got, Joseph knew what he wanted to do."

Winning rider, O’Brien jnr, said: "I just wanted to get him into a rhythm and get him relaxed, he has loads of class and can quicken and when things work out he’s an exceptional horse.”

Sir Michael Stoute, trainer of Carlton House, said: "He couldn’t get enough cover as he was a bit off the fence but he was second best, it’s as simple as that.

"Ryan gave him a great ride, he had every chance but he just found one too good."