LONDON, June 18: Nayef, ridden by Richard Hills, turned the tables on Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad to land the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.
The five-year-old colt, a 5-1 chance, took command in the straight and won by two and a half lengths from 50-1 outsider Rakti with 7-1 chance Islington third of the 10 runners.
Moon Ballad had stormed to victory in the World Cup on dirt in March with Nayef six lengths back in third.
But it was a different story on the Ascot turf with Moon Ballad, the 2-1 favourite, fading badly in the straight to finish last but one after making most of the running.
Nayef’s trainer Marcus Tregoning said: “He really won it emphatically. He’s got plenty of speed and I’m sure he will be well supported when he eventually goes to stud — but not just yet, I hope.”—Reuters