Dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin has been entered to run at Royal Ascot 2024 in the Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. The Irish horse is set to take on some of the leading middle distance horses in Europe in the 1m2f contest at the Royal meeting.
Last season was an impressive campaign from Aidan O’Brien’s runner, as he prevailed in the Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf. A first Royal Ascot triumph will make him one of the most successful turf horses of his generation.
Over £4m In Career Earnings Already
Despite only having 12 racecourse appearances, Auguste Rodin has already won more than £4 million in career earnings. He is the 13/8 favourite in the bet on horse racing odds to win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes to add a further £567,000 to his tally.
Auguste Rodin is one of four O’Brien horses in the entries for the day-two contest. Recent Coronation Cup winner Luxembourg is O’Brien’s next best shot, at 8/1 in the Royal Ascot odds for the race.
Last season’s Epsom hero will need to bounce back from two defeats already this season. He finished in last place in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan back in March, while more recently, he had to settle for the runner-up spot in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
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White Birch and Auguste Rodin Set to Renew Rivalry
The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes will be the fourth time that leading Irish horses White Birch and Auguste Rodin have clashed in their careers. The latter prevailed in that battle in the Derby and Irish Derby. However, in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, it was White Birch who took the first prize.
White Birch has taken a big step forward as a four-year-old as he has a 100% record this season, with three wins from three starts. His campaign began with a triumph in the Group Three Alleged Stakes at the Curragh, while on his second outing, he won the Group Two Mooresbridge Stakes at the same course.
Their upcoming dual at Royal Ascot is one of the most fascinating angles of the week at this year’s leading Flat meeting. The winner could go on to feature at the Breeders’ Cup later in the season at Del Mar in California.
Excellent Season for Record Breaker O’Brien
O’Brien goes into the 2024 Royal Ascot meeting full of confidence, as he has made an excellent start to the season. He won the Derby at Epsom with City Of Troy, while there have also been victories at Chester’s May Meeting and the Dante Meeting at York.
The Irish Champion Trainer became the most successful Royal Ascot trainer in history in 2023 when Paddington prevailed in the St James’s Palace Stakes. The 54-year-old has some strong chances again this year across the five days, including Opera Singer in the Ribblesdale Stakes and Continuous in the Hardwicke Stakes.
Enjoy all the action from this year’s Royal Ascot meeting. It is sure to be another spectacular event.
