Royal Ascot: Inconsistent Luxembourg tepid favorite in Prince of Wales's

On his best day, the 4-year-old colt Luxembourg is unbeatable in major stakes in Europe, which is why he is a slight favorite to win Wednesday’s Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The trouble is not every race day is Luxembourg’s day. He won the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes last September at Leopardstown, but was seventh in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe a month later in Paris.

On May 1, Luxembourg finished a troubled fifth in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes at The Curragh in his 2023 debut, but recovered to win the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the same venue on May 28.

The $1,279,000 Prince of Wales’s Stakes is run at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the Irish Champion Stakes and Tattersalls Gold Cup. Bettors will have no hesitation backing a colt trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore for the Coolmore partnership.

Luxembourg, who typically races as a stalker, is part of a field of six, with three other leading contenders in Adayar, Bay Bridge, and My Prospero. Wins by the outsiders Mostahdaf or Classic Causeway, who is trained in Kentucky by Kenny McPeek, would be a surprise.

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The winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Bay Bridge, trained by Michael Stoute, and Adayar, trained by Charlie Appleby, were first and second in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Ascot last October.

Bay Bridge was second by a half-length to Luxembourg in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, while Adayar was the easy winner in his only start this year in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on May 7 at Newmarket.

My Prospero, trained by William Haggas, was third by a half-length in the Champion Stakes last fall and fourth behind Modern Games in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at a mile at Newbury Racecourse in Britain last month.

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the lone Group 1 race on Wednesday’s seven-race program at Royal Ascot, the second day of the famous meeting that continues through Saturday.

First post time on Wednesday is 9:30 a.m. Eastern, or 6:30 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Classic Causeway, winless in seven starts since the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Belmont Park last July, was fourth by 2 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on June 3 at Churchill Downs.

Classic Causeway is one of five American-trained runners on Wednesday’s program.

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Bundchen, Crimson Advocate, and Cynane start in the day’s first race, the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs.

Crimson Advocate, trained by George Weaver, was rated as the best chance of the three at 8-1 with bookmakers as of Monday. Crimson Advocate won the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes at five furlongs on turf on May 13 at Gulfstream Park.

Fandom, the winner of his only start in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf on April 27 at Keeneland, starts for trainer Wesley Ward in the day’s final race, the Windsor Castle Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs.

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