Auguste Rodin shows his class in Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

Aidan O’Brien’s Derby winner Auguste Rodin had developed a reputation as a bit of an in and out performer. He took a major step towards eradicating that notion and achieving the sort of recognition his talent deserved as he took his Group 1 win count to 6 when winning the showpiece event on day two of Ascot’s Royal festival, the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

While he’d signed off in 2023 with a win in the Breeder’s Cup not everyone was convinced by his second place finish behind White Birch on his European reappearance at the Curragh which had followed a poor display in the Sheema Classic at Meydan, O’Brien had clearly left plenty improvement in the colt however and he was a different proposition here on the firmer ground that has marked many of his top efforts.

The race unfolded much as jockey Ryan Moore would have hoped. He settled his colt, who was travelling well, back in fourth place of the 10 runners. As they turned into the straight Moore, travelling wide, set Auguste Rodin alight, clearly looking to play to the strengths of his proven stamina. By the two furlong pole Auguste Rodin had hit the front and while he didn’t power clear he never looked likely to be passed and he kept on strongly to the line. The French trained outsider Zarakem finished best to take second with fellow French raider Horizon Dore back in third.

Trainer O’Brien was keen to blame himself for some of the previous disappointments.  “He gets a mile and a half very well but when he gets to the front he waits. We were riding him too far back and when there was no pace, he was too far out of the race. I feel the blips were my fault, the instructions were wrong, and it was time to start getting it right.”

Winning jockey Moore wanted to stress how good he feels the horse is. “He took me there, going very well, and when I asked him, he really showed great courage. He wanted to win and is a proper horse. He’s been a real good horse and he did everything beautifully, he deserved that.”

With a return trip to Ascot on the cards for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at the end of July the future looks bright for Auguste Rodin. The biggest task for the Ballydoyle team may lie in keeping this 2023 Derby winner and his younger stablemate, the 2024 Derby winner City Of Troy, apart.