2011 Royal Ascot: Rewilding Upsets in the G1 Prince of Wales Stakes

In another exciting day of racing at Royal Ascot, Australian Champion and winner of this year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup, So You Think was beaten by a neck at the wire in the G1 Prince of Wales Stakes.

The race was uneventful for the first half and didn’t get exciting until the field hit the stretch coming to the wire. In champion fashion, So You Think shot to the lead and opened up a two-length lead as Jan Vermeer faded.

Planteur and Twice Over tried to stay with the So You Think but couldn’t eat into his lead and it looked like the horse was about to win his third consecutive race since shipping to Europe and training under Aidan O’Brien. 

But in the final furlong, Frankie Dettori’s mount, Rewilding, caught So You Think and it turned into a battle much like Ascot saw yesterday in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes. 

But in the shadow of the wire, Rewilding got the best of the Aussie Champ and went on to win by a neck in a time of 2:04.24 for the 10 furlongs over a good turf course. Sri Putra took third, six lengths behind the leaders.

"I have to be honest, it is not me, it’s him. It was his Highness’ decision to drop back in trip. We are still learning and he has been racing in England for a long time—more than 30 years.” Mahmood Al Zarooni, Rewilding’s trainer, told Bloodhorse after the race.

But the win wasn’t all fun and games for Rewilding’s camp when Frankie Dettori was informed he was handed a nine-day suspension for excessive racing in the race.

Dettori will already be serving a 10-day suspension during the last two days of Royal Ascot after a fourth place ride on Blue Bunting where he didn’t ride to the line at Epsom. He will be facing the bans back to back and will be banned from riding until July 7.

This was Rewilding’s fifth win in nine starts. He is by Tiger Hill and out of the Top Ville mare Darara.