Lord North is eased down close home by James Doyle
Lord North is eased down close home by James Doyle

Prince Of Wales's Stakes report, reaction & free video replay: Lord North wins Royal Ascot feature


Lord North made the step up to Group One level look easy with a runaway success in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Held up near the back of the field by James Doyle in the early stages, as Bangkok took them along, the 5/1 shot sprouted wings with a furlong and a half to go and made his rivals look one-paced.

John Gosden's progressive four-year-old was moving up in class having won the Cambridgeshire Handicap last season and the rearranged Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown 10 days ago.

He put that race-fitness to good use and pulled clear to score by three and three-quarter lengths from Addeybb (7/2).

The disappointment of the race was market leader Japan, who only fourth, just behind Barney Roy, in a bunched finish for the minor honours. Headman struggled to get into it from off the pace, looking laboured in the straight, while Frankie Dettori and Mehdaayih held every chance turning in but failed to see it out.

Click on the image to watch a full replay of this race
Click on the image to watch a full replay of this race

Gosden added: "This horse had to be gelded, because he wasn't prepared to play ball, and he's the happiest fellow ever now - a great character.

"It was an end-to-end gallop, which suited us - and he just picked them off. Bangkok set a strong pace, Japan missed the break then had to get up there, then Addeybb went up there too. That suited our horse.

"I'm always one step at a time, this year we've had to do things differently. We'll freshen him up and look at how things are for him. He's had two quick races now."

Lord North pulls clear in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes
Lord North pulls clear in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes

Winning jockey Doyle, who was riding the gelding for the first time, said: "I think when John takes a horse into a race like this you do have to prick your ears, and he was quite unexposed.

"He's gone through the grades. He won the Brigadier Gerard at Haydock but looked to get a bit tired and John said he'd definitely improve a lot for that run. I thought going into it the vibes were all pretty confident from Mr Gosden's camp.

"I guess it played into my hands the way the race panned out, but I felt it was a pretty evenly-run race, he settled beautifully out the back and showed a good turn of pace when I asked him, so it certainly wasn't a fluke.

"I think he can continue now and be a pretty strong force in these type of races. A mile and a quarter is perfect for him."


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