O’Brien Filly Magical to Land Prince Of Wales Stakes

The Prince Of Wales Stakes looks like being a cracker, even though we are running without one of the big fancied antepost runners in Masar. The Derby winner from last year goes elsewhere, but that doesn’t take anything away from this race, it should be a cracker. This is a clash between two fillies and one colt, with Magical, Sea Of Class and Crystal Ocean all coming head to head.

The Aidan O’Brien trained Magical has had a much better and trouble free season that last season, and that has really allowed her to show her true colours. She has won all three starts so far this season, all of them over in Ireland. We saw the best of her towards the end of last season, with a win here over Coronet and then a great second behind Enable at the Breeders Cup meeting. A reproduction of either of those two runs will make her very difficult to beat here.

Talking of fillies who have finished second behind Enable and that brings Sea Of Class into the contest. She finished behind Enable in the Arc at Longchamp, and again a reproduction of that will see her go close. However, I’m not sure today is the day she reproduces that as this is her first run of the season. Trainer William Haggas has already said that he doesn’t want to overcook her this season, so I expect that she will come on for the run here whatever she does in this race.

Crystal Ocean is looking to beat the girls and comes here in search of his first Group One success. He has been running very well and dominating things in a slightly lower grade than this, although there is no doubt he looks capable of running against these, and fully deserves to. Over 1m4f he would be of much more interest, and while I do really like the horse I think Magical will just have too much speed for him and kick clear on the home straight.

With the trip doubting him, and a first run of the season being the big concern for Sea Of Class, this is going to be left to Magical, who can make it four out of four this season. She may have had her troubles at the start of last season, but from the autumn onwards right up until now, she has been one of the best fillies in training, and a win here would only emphasise that further.