Prince Of Wales's Stakes Big Race Verdict: Back Gosden superstar on Royal Ascot Day 2

Ombudsman favourite for Wednesday feature

The great cricket scribe Neville Cardus once called the Don Bradman versus Bill O'Reilly head-to-head both duel and duet - a line which would not be out of place for Daryz v Ombudsman in Wednesday's Prince Of Wales's Stakes.

This folks is what racing is all about.

In money terms alone this promises to be a blockbuster, with a cool £567K to the winner. Daryz, an Arc winner, is on 2.7million career earnings, while Ombudsman, with his 4.1million sheets, is quite rightly the 5/42.25 market leader on the Betfair Sportsbook.

Throw in Minnie Hauk's 2.1million and the relative pauper Almaqam and we've got a hell of a race in store.

Minnie Hauk was the big mover on the Sportsbook from Monday evening into Tuesday afternoon with the 10/111.00 all snapped up into 6/17.00.

Godolphin star out to create Prince Of Wales's history

John and Thady Gosden's crack five-year-old will attempt to become the first horse in almost 30 years to win back-to-back POWs. The last horse to achieve the feat was Muhtarram in the mid 90s for none other than Gosden, in those pre-Thady days, when the master had his golden flowing locks.

6 (8)

Ombudsman (Ire)

• J: William Buick
• T: John & Thady Gosden
• F:

Back then, this was Godolphin's race. Who can forget the brilliance of Dubai Millennium and Fantastic Light in the golden age?

Ombudsman has gone through an identical prep for this with Sandown the pipe opener. He finished second at Sandown 12 months ago before his Prince Of Wales's win, but was a winner in a titanic battle across the Esher plains last time against the shiny new Wathnan toy Gethin, and Ombudsman had a proper race.

The scene at Ascot last year when beating Anmaat was not too dissimilar to the Fantastic Light victory, albeit with a bit more trouble, as William Buick had Ombudsman a long way off the pace and took an age to search for the gap. It did come, to the relief of the backers, and that brilliant 1m2f turn of foot is a serious weapon.

He ran a scorching 11.82 seconds at the final furlong, granted on firm, and that's his most potent weapon. At 5/42.25 on the Sportsbook, there can be no qualms on the price.

Daryz needs to prove his York run all wrong from 12 months ago

3 (2)

Daryz (Fr)

• J: Mickael Barzalona
• T: Francis-Henri Graffard, France
• F:

It's been far too long since we have seen the green and red livery of the late Aga Khan stud in the winner's enclosure It was 2005, in fact, when Azamour succeeded under "Mighty Mick" for gentleman John Oxx.

He's the French superstar that needs very little introduction, although it would be a little unfair to leave it at that. On weight adjusted Timeform figures, the Arc winner is 144 against Ombudsman's 142 but he has got the fast ground worry. Ascot at this meeting, when there is no rain, gets harder than a Times crossword.

Is it enough to jettison one of the world's best?

The lawman Francis Graffard went head first into battle with Daryz against Ombudsman in last year's Juddmonte at York but failed. He was too keen in rear on genuine fast ground and finished last of six. Graffard got it wrong with Calandagan in the Epsom slop a fortnight later again and surely he cannot lose out twice in quick succession with another one of his star pupils.

Daryz has enjoyed the perfect prep with Group 1 wins in the Prix Aga Khan IV (Prix D'ispahan) (Group 1) and the Prix Ganay - both by over 3L, both very tactical affairs. In those races his change of acceleration has been fine, but he is an Arc winner over Minnie Hauk in heavy over 1m4f, and while we've seen a turn of foot, he needs an exceptional one to beat Ombudsman.

Perhaps his immaturity caught him out in the Juddmonte and he will benefit from being a year older and wiser now. Daryz was trimmed from 2s into 15/82.88 on Tuesday morning. Some of the hope.

Hauk's run last time was a shocker

The good to firm will not frighten backers of Minnie Hauk one jot, but the run last time will put them off.

She ran no sort of race in the Tattersalls Gold Cup over 1m2f, when 9L behind Almaqam, and it was her second run of the season. Her finishing ever so slightly lame is far from ideal going into a race of this nature.

Aidan O'Brien won this race with filly Love in 2021 and Minnie Hauk is an Oaks and Irish Oaks winner. After her flop last time, O'Brien: "What happened with Minnie Hauk was that they jumped and they went for three furlongs so Ryan [Moore] gave her a chance, which was the right thing to do.

"But then the pace went out of the race completely and they walked in the middle of the race so, really, he ended up out the back on a mile-and-a-half filly and they were walking, so she had no chance from there."

With her pacemaker in the race she'll need an end-to-end gallop and her second to Daryz in the Arc last year was one of her best ever performances on Timeform ratings.

She is the same price as Almaqam, both at 6/17.00 on the Sportsbook and Almaqam beat Ombudsman in the Brigadier Gerard last year with Oisin Murphy going from the front that day to dictate. Almaqam's victory last time out earned him a TF race rating of 127+.

Ed Walker has often said he never wants the ground too quick as a big horse with big feet and that has to be a slight worry, although all appeared fine on good to firm at the Curragh.

Pace map and tactics

Usually the favourite is the horse to follow in tactical races, but with Ombudsman likely to be held up and ridden for a turn of foot, I expect him to be further back, especially from a tricky draw in stall eight over the 1m2f course as you can get trapped out wide early.

It's clear Mississippi River will go on for Minnie Hauk as a 1m4f horse and I expect Almaqam to be ridden prominently.

See The Fire usually can go and sit handy and Daryz is likely to be deep from stall two. I am not dismissing See The Fire's work as mere shavings from a workbench but she's had two pretty easy races prior to this.

Alan Dudman's Prince Of Wales's Verdict

1) Ombudsman

2) Minnie Hauk

3) Almarqam

It is wildly unambitious on my part to again side with a favourite for a big race, but Ombudsman clearly has the better turn of foot on suitable fast conditions in a race he has won before.

Minnie Hauk's change of pace over a shorter trip is not as dynamic as in the Yorkshire Oaks where, granted good to firm last term, recorded 12.63 seconds at the end. Almaqam's penultimate furlong timed at 11.14 seconds at the Curragh for his latest win on good to firm will give him a chance.

A good pace and better position from Minnie Hauk for her to stay pushes me to play her for second but I am not in rush to oppose a horse with the best credentials at 5/42.25.

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