When King Pelles won Saturday’s Tote Gr3 Derby, he shone the spotlight on his deceased sire Duke Of Marmalade. The latter won five Gr1 races during his illustrious racing career, including the Gr1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes is one of a smorgasbord of top-class races to be run at Royal Ascot this week, with the Royal meeting one of the most popular race meetings of the year.
Duke Of Marmalade – during his racing days (Pic – Supplied)
First run in 1862, the Prince Of Wales’s has been run in its current format since 1968 and won by such champion as Brigadier Gerard, Ouija Board, Mtoto, Bosra Sham, Dubai Millennium, and the aforementioned Duke Of Marmalade.
When run over one mile and five furlongs, notable stallions to win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes include Hyperion, Heliopolis and Bayardo, to name but three.
Since the race was run in its original format, successful stallions to have captured this race are Ela-Mana-Mou, Azamour, and So You Think, while the 1993 winner Placerville proved one of India’s greatest stallions.
The 2006 winner Ouija Board left her mark as the dam of dual Derby winner Australia (sire of 2025 Betfred Derby winner Lambourn), while the ill-fated Dubai Millennium ensured his lasting legacy through his outstanding sire son Dubawi.
One Royal Ascot feature to have produced more than its share of top-class performers, both on the track and at stud, is the St James’s Palace Stakes.
Kingman -champion (Pic – Supplied)
Currently run over seven furlongs and 213 yards and restricted to three-year-old colts, the race has consistently been won by outstanding gallopers and subsequent top stallions.
Since 1988 (when the race was given Gr1 status), the honour roll of the St James’s Palace Stakes includes Kingmambo, Giant’s Causeway, Shamardal, Frankel, and Kingman – in short some of the best stallions of their generation.
The South African turf benefitted greatly from a St James’s Palace Stakes winner with the 1974 winner Averof siring Horse Of The Year and multiple champion sire Foveros among others.
Richard Hughes and Canford Cliffs celebrate at Royal Ascot (Pic- British Champions Series)
Canford Cliffs, winner of the 2010 St James’s Palace Stakes has been in the headlines in South Africa this season thanks to the likes of Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Direct Hit and dual graded stakes winner Tenango.
Other outstanding stallions to have won major races at the Royal Meeting include Mill Reef (Gr2 Coventry Stakes), Fair Trial (Queen Anne Stakes), Royal Charger (Queen Anne Stakes), Cape Cross (Gr2 Queen Anne Stakes), and Pivotal (Gr2 King’s Stand Stakes).
However, it is not only Royal Ascot winning colts who have made their mark at stud.
Past winners of the meeting’s Coronation Stakes include such influential mares as Pretty Polly, Udaipur, Flame Of Tara, Chimes Of Freedom, Lillie Langtry and Immortal Verse. The latter is the dam of 2025 Gr1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) winner Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett).
Another Roya Ascot showpiece event to have unleashed numerous top-class broodmares is the Ribblesdale Stakes.
Ribblesdale Stakes winners to have enjoyed successful careers at stud include High Hawk, Ballinderry, Gull Nook, Hellenic, Thawakib, and Windmill Girl.
Mumtaz Mahal
Arguably the most important filly to win at the Royal Ascot meeting was Mumtaz Mahal. The latter captured the 1923 Queen Mary Stakes by ten lengths, and would go on to become one of the cornerstones of the studbook.
Mumtaz Mahal is the 11th dam of Zarigana (Siyouni), a leading contender for Friday’s Gr1 Coronation Stakes.
You can enjoy Royal Ascot action every afternoon from Tuesday to Saturday at 15h30 on GallopTV.
