'The race set-up wasn't ideal for us' - where next for the beaten big guns in the Prince of Wales's Stakes?

The Prince of Wales's Stakes was billed as arguably Royal Ascot's best race of the week and the sequel might be worth tuning into as well if Luxembourg, Adayar and My Prospero – who finished second, third and fourth behind Mostahdaf – clash at the course again in next month's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.

That race takes place over 1m4f on July 29 and it seems the likely next slot for Luxembourg, who went off the 2-1 favourite in the Prince of Wales's but was slammed to the tune of four lengths by the impressive winner.

Ridden by Ryan Moore, he is trained by Aidan O'Brien who said: "He ran very well and we're very happy. The winner won very well. The plan was to look at the King George anyway after today and it's possible, but we'll see how he is.

"He was always going to get a mile and a half well and Ryan was happy with him too."

Making 2021 Derby hero Adayar a top-flight winner over a mile and a quarter would come in handy when his stud career begins, but on this occasion it was not to be.

"The race set-up wasn't ideal for us," said his trainer Charlie Appleby. "We were a bit tardy from the gate and were hoping to be on the lead or be second to the American horse [Classic Causeway] and we sort of ended up in the spot where we thought Ryan might be on Luxembourg.

"I was pleased with the horse in respect to the fractions that were made and it was always going to be for a turn of foot off the turn, and the winner's good at that.

"I feel for our fella, but the step back up to a mile and a half will suit. That's what he's crying out for, so it's the King George."

Charlie Appleby: "I feel for our fella"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Appleby, who trains the five-year-old for Godolphin, added: "With the way the race was set up, it was always going to be a struggle for him.

"In hindsight, you could say about a pacemaker, but, the way he fluffed his lines, it might not have made much difference if he was stuck in behind and the pacemaker was doing his own thing.

"He's lost nothing in defeat and we wanted to try and win a Group 1 over a mile and a quarter because, for his CV, it would be a feather in his cap."

My Prospero was further back under Tom Marquand, who said: "It's not what we wanted, but he's shaping like going to a mile and a half is the right thing to do and, physically, he doesn't look a fast horse – he's a big galloper. I'd say he's probably found a similar level to his Lockinge run."

Read this next:

Brilliant Mostahdaf streaks away from Prince of Wales's big guns to secure first Group 1 

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