Prince of Wales’s Stakes quotes: "It's going to be a proper test"

Connections of Daryz are optimistic the Arc hero can show his disappointing first trip to Britain was just a blip when he locks horns with Ombudsman in a blockbuster clash for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

While there is no doubting the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained colt’s top-level prowess, having this season added the Prix Ganay and the Prix Aga Khan IV to his Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe success from last term, it is impossible to escape the fact the only blot on his copybook so far came on fast ground on UK soil.

But Nemone Routh, manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France, believes Daryz is a different beast to the one that first crossed the Channel and finished last of six runners the Juddmonte International 10 months ago and is hopeful he will show his true colours in Royal Ascot’s day two feature.

“Wednesday will be the big test, but we feel like he’s matured into the horse he is now. The only question mark really is the trip over, but we’d be hopeful that will go well and he has been very relaxed during the preliminaries of his two runs so far (this season).

“He’s done everything right this year, obviously the trip is fine and we’re not worried about the ground. In fact we thought he was a firm ground horse before his prep run for the Arc in the Prix du Prince d’Orange, which was on soft ground and he showed he handled it.”

Routh is of the opinion the nature of last year’s Juddmonte International was to blame for Daryz’s below-par effort, rather than the long trip from Chantilly to York.

She added: “He actually travelled well when he went to York, which is obviously a much longer trip than it is to Ascot. He wasn’t too badly behaved or anything, it was more the running of the race that didn’t really suit him because it was a very strange race, the pacemaker went off and he got stuck behind the Japanese horse (Danon Decile) and then he started pulling.

“I think it was his lack of experience really that told that day and he is a different proposition now to what he was then. He took most of last year to come to maturity and this year he’s done nothing wrong.

“It’s going to be a proper test, but this is what it’s about.”

The Godolphin-owned Ombudsman was brilliant when winning this race and the Juddmonte International last summer and added to his top-level tally in the Dubai Turf at Meydan at the end of March.

He was workmanlike when making a successful return to home turf in last month’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown, but is sure to be fully tuned for the defence of his Royal Ascot crown.

“Ombudsman had a bit of a freshen up after winning the Dubai Turf before running in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, where he beat a good horse in Gethin,” joint-trainer Thady Gosden told the Godolphin website.

“It looks a very hot Prince of Wales’s Stakes, with Daryz running, but Ombudsman has done well since Sandown and goes into it in good form.”

Almaqam is a worthy contender for Ed Walker following his Group One breakthrough in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland three weeks ago, a race in which Aidan O’Brien’s top-class filly Minnie Hauk – just a head behind Daryz in the Arc – failed to fire.

Andrew Balding’s See The Fire was third in this race last year and returns following a fine start to the season, winning a Listed prize at Nottingham and the Middleton Stakes at York.

Jockey Oisin Murphy said: “She’s obviously taking on the colts and it is a great renewal. It’s very strong, Almaqam is drawn one, Ombudsman may be a bit inconvenienced in stall eight but I’m sure William (Buick) can work it out.

“Daryz is towards the middle and I’m in six. I’m hoping she can run another huge race.”