Royal Ascot: Mostahdaf blows away rivals in Prince Of Wales's Stakes to land Group One glory for John and Thady Gosden
John Gosden: "He's a talented horse but even I'm surprised with his brilliance today! That was very special";watch every race from Royal Ascot live on Sky Sports Racing
Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:10, UK
Trainer John Gosden has seen many superstars pass through his stables but even he was taken aback by the performance of Mostahdaf in the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Sent off a relatively unfancied 10/1 shot for the feature on day two against the might of former Derby hero Adayar, Tattersalls Gold Cup star Luxembourg and Sir Michael Stoute's well-fancied Bay Bridge, it looked an uphill task for the five-year-old who was last seen chasing home the talented Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Ryan Moore on Luxembourg set the early pace in what was predicted to be a highly-tactical affair, with fellow front-runner and huge outsider Classic Causeway the first to give way.
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Bay Bridge looked short of room in behind under Richard Kingscote, while William Buick and Adayar delivered their challenge alongside Tom Marquand on My Prospero.
But, all the while, it was Jim Crowley on Mostahdaf who was travelling best and he quickened powerfully on the drying Berkshire ground to go away for victory by four lengths, with Luxembourg staying on for second ahead of Adayar.
Gosden told Sky Sports Racing: "He chased the brilliant Japanese horse [Equinox] and he was the only one who tried to give him a race.
"He's a talented horse but even I'm surprised with his brilliance today! That was very special.
"He knows how to quicken and the ground dried up - he loved it!"
Crowley added: "That was fantastic. This horse is beautifully bred and has been knocking on the door in some big races.
"He's a bit of a handful but once he gets his mind on the race he's such a powerful horse. It's a great race to win."
