Ascot 2020: The Ultimate Guide for Prince of Wales Stakes

Japan

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Jockey: Ryan Moore

Japan was an impressive three-year-old with a lofty reputation and is no doubt the one to beat here.

He had a set back at the beginning of last season but after a jog about in the Dante, ran a cracker to finish third in the Derby. He stepped up again after, winning the King Edward stakes at Royal Ascot and then two successive Group One’s, the Grand Prix De Paris and the Juddmonte International at York.

He wasn’t beaten far when fourth on very soft ground in the Arc and providing he’s ready to roll here, he could take an awful amount of beating.

Barney Roy

Trainer: Charlie Appleby

Jockey: William Buick

He was an impressive three-year-old in 2017 and won the St James Palace here and was retried.

His stud career, however, didn’t go to plan and he came back into training last year. He only had the two runs and finished midfield in last year's Queen Anne.

Over the winter, he’s won two races in Meydan, including a Group One but will have to build on that and step up in a more competitive race here.

Headman

Trainer: Roger Charlton

Jockey: Jason Watson

He progressed well last year after winning the London Gold Cup Handicap and looks to have a big career ahead of him.

He was a duel Group two winner in France and ended the season finishing fifth in the Irish Champion Stakes but wasn’t beaten far.

There will be more to come with him, and he could run a big race.

Addeybb

Trainer: William Haggas

Jockey: Tom Marquand

He won the Wolferton here last year and through the spring won back to back Group one’s in Australia.

It’s hard to gauge how strong them races were but he was second in the Champion Stakes to Magical in October but his overall Group form in Europe isn’t the strongest and it seems he does need the ground soft to be involved.

Lord North

Trainer: John Gosden

Jockey: James Doyle

This is toughest assignment to date after winning last year's Cambridgeshire and has developed again at four, winning the Brigadier Gerard last week, a race that has produced winners of this race in the past.

This is a massive hike up in class, but it remains to be seen how good he perhaps is.

Mehdaayih

Trainer: John Gosden

Jockey: Frankie Dettori

The second of the John Gosden runners and the choice of Frankie Dettori. She was impressive when winning the Chesire Oaks last year and went off favourite at Epsom but could only manage seventh.

She won a Group two in France after but has struggled in Group One’s since and she would have had to improve a considerable amount to get involved here.

Bangkok

Trainer: Andrew Balding

Jockey: Silvestre De Sousa

Andrew Balding has started the season on fire but it’s difficult to see him winning this with Bangkok, the outsider of the field.

He won a Classic trial last year but finished second last in the Derby. He was second to Japan at Ascot last tear but hasn’t kicked on.

The horse also impressed when winning the Winter Derby trial at Lingfield but was beaten in the race itself at odds on and that form doesn’t look anywhere near strong enough.