Al Kazeem stars in pulsating Prince of Wales’s Stakes

Al Kazeem (nearside) gets up to beat Mukhadram in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Those who doubted the form of the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland last month, when the Roger Charlton-trained Al Kazeem defeated the long odds-on favourite Camelot, winner of three Classics in 2012, can have no misgivings after this afternoon’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Camelot once again started favourite in the third Middle Distance race of the QIPCO British Champions Series, with his trainer, Aidan O’Brien, having won the first two with St Nicholas Abbey (Investec Coronation Cup) and Ruler Of The World (Investec Derby).

However the result between him and Al Kazeem was far more emphatic than it had been in Ireland, with Al Kazeem making up a lot of ground to collar the front-running Mukhadram in the final strides.

A neck seperated them at the line, with a yawning 3 1/4 lengths back to the third horse, The Fugue, with Camelot only fourth, another half a length back.

Mukhadram, who had only won a Group 3 race in the past, ran a fine race under jockey Paul Hanagan, making all and quickening three lengths clear with two furlongs left to run.

James Doyle on Al Kazeem had him in his sights, however, and having got alongside inside the final furlong, got his head in front in the last 50 yards.

Miblish ran a fine race to finish fifth with French raider Maxios a little disappointing in sixth.

Red Cadeaux showed that he needs further than a mile and a quarter, never getting into the race.

A jubilant James Doyle said: "I thought Paul Hanagan gave his horse a fantastic ride, he got his fractions right.

"He got a couple of lengths on me turning in and I had to make them up.

"He’s a very tough horse and I’m lucky to be sat on him.

"It’s magical really, to get a Royal Ascot winner. It leaves you speechless, it’s what it is all about.

"Hard work pays off and when it does it’s fantastic."

Charlton said: "You need to have a lot of patience in this game, it’s what Sir Henry Cecil always said, and we’ve been patient with him but you need the owners.

"We always thought we had a really good horse."