Mostahdaf produced a career-best to land a red-hot renewal of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.
John and Thady Gosden’s charge was a big-race winner in Saudi Arabia during the winter before running with real credit behind Japanese superstar Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
But he was somewhat the forgotten horse here as the race was billed as a showdown between former Derby hero Adayar, Sir Michael Stoute’s Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge and his Curragh conqueror Luxembourg.
However, it was the Shadwell-owned five-year-old who landed the spoils in tremendous fashion, to strike for the first time at the highest level.
Jim Crowley was content to bide his time in the early stages as Luxembourg and American raider Classic Causeway eyeballed each other on the front end, but the jockey found himself in the perfect spot to strike as the runners entered the home straight.
And as push came to shove for the main protagonists, the 10-1 winner cruised to the lead before extending his advantage in the closing stages, registering a deeply impressive four-length success.
The victory gave John Gosden his third victory in the past 10 years in the 10-furlong contest and his fifth overall, but his first in conjunction with son Thady.
“I was expecting him to pick up well in the straight, but not to make them look like they were standing still,” he said.
John and Thady Gosden watching the St James’s Place Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) Royal Ascot 20/06/2023 Pic. Hattie Austin (focusonracing.com)
“In fairness to him, he did it in Riyadh. He won the Neom Cup in that style, he just flew away. When the ground dries up he’s a brilliant horse. The amount he quickened did surprise me, but not the fact that he loved the ground and was in top form.
“We were going to run him in the Brigadier Gerard, but he hadn’t quite recovered from his Middle Eastern campaign. If you check the form book he took on a certain Japanese horse in the Sheema Classic (Equinox) and a mile and a half is beyond him, he’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse, but he put it up to them and gave it his best go.
“To that extent he’s back to a mile and a quarter, but what a horse that horse is. ”
On immediate plans, Gosden said: “I always find the Eclipse comes too close. I’d wait for the Juddmonte International; that would be the race for me. He likes to run fresh – too many nights out on the town, we don’t bounce like we used to. I think the Juddmonte International should be the big target.”
Paying tribute to Sheikha Hissa, who became head of the Shadwell operation following the death of her father, Sheikh Hamdan, Gosden said: “She’s done amazingly – she’s rationalised the whole programme after her father died, bringing it all together.
“She’s here with her husband today – she’s recently married – and it’s a great achievement to put this together; Baaeed last year and this horse now, possibly worthy of going to stud as a stallion, and that’s what it’s all about.”
- The action continues at 15h30 on Thursday.
