The Grey Gatsby ‘bursting to run’ in Prince of Wales’s Stakes
Kevin Ryan will make a late decision over whether to let The Grey Gatsby cross swords with Japanese superstar A Shin Hikari in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.
The Hambleton-based trainer is desperate to let the popular five-year-old try and avenge his unlucky short-head defeat at the hands of Free Eagle in last year’s renewal.
The Grey Gatsby reserves his best for fast going with reports from the track stating that the going on the round course at Ascot is good to soft, soft in places following a dry night.
“The Grey Gatsby is in great form, he’s bursting to run,” Ryan said. “It’s just unfortunate we’ve got a headache to see what the weather does over the next 48 hours.
“Good ground is ideal for him and he would probably get away with the easy side of good, but he’s tried soft ground before and just doesn’t handle it.
“He’s also in the Hardwicke Stakes [on Saturday]. We will see how much rain materialises.”
On the prospect of facing A Shin Hikari, a dazzling ten-length winner of the Prix d’Isphan on his European debut on heavy going at Chantilly last month, Ryan said: “He was hugely impressive in France, but it’s a different day, a different race.”
Japan has never been able to celebrate a Royal Ascot success but, equally, have never had such a strong contender as the five-year-old, who was making it ten wins from 12 starts in France and is odds-on with some bookmakers.
He is trained by Masanori Sakaguchi, 67, who will be having his first Royal Ascot runner, and will be ridden by Yutaka Take, 47, the 18-time champion jockey in Japan.
In the past decade Ouija Board (2006) and The Fugue (2014) have been mares to lift the Group 1 prize. This year Found, trained by Aidan O’Brien, would not be winning out of turn, having finished runner-up in each of the three Group 1 races she has contested in Britain – including when beaten a neck by Ervedya in the Coronation Stakes at last year’s Royal Meeting and going down a length and a quarter to Fascinating Rock on QIPCO British Champions Day.
O’Brien has won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes twice in the past with Duke Of Marmalade (2008) and So You Think (2012), so the Ballydoyle maestro will be hoping a four-year pattern re-emerges.
Western Hymn, beaten a neck by Time Test in the BetVictor Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown last month, seeks to give John Gosden a fourth win in the race, while Tryster, a staying-on third to Real Steel in the Dubai Turf at Meydan in March, will represent Godolphin.
“We got a bit far back as he missed the break, which he does sometimes,” said William Buick, who has guided Tryster to his past four wins. “It’s a hot race and it would be nice if we could to pick up the pieces at the end. Plenty of people have suggested how to ride him; we are open to suggestions.”
The six-runner field is completed by the Clive Cox-trained My Dream Boat, a Group 3 winner at Sandown in April who finished a distant fifth to A Shin Hikari at Chantilly on his latest start.
