Prince Of Wales’s Stakes betting tips recognise John Gosden star Cracksman is impossible to oppose in the big 1m 2f Group 1 race on the second day of Royal Ascot 2018, Wednesday, 20 June. Poet’s Word and Cliffs Of Moher are the main contenders to chase him home at this prestigious Flat meeting. Read more in our 2018 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes betting tips.Cracksman clear of Prince Of Wales rivals at Royal AscotIn-form trainer John Gosden has one of the bankers of Royal Ascot 2018 in Prince of Wales’s Stakes favourite Cracksman, and him racing in the 1m 2f feature Group 1 contest is the star attraction on Wednesday, 20 June (16:20).
The four-year-old has won seven of his nine career starts, including the last five. It puts Cracksman on an official BHA rating of 130 – 8lb clear of his rivals in this.
Jockey Frankie Dettori has an incredible strike rate aboard him, winning six times out of seven with that only defeat coming in last year’s Epsom Derby. Cracksman was beaten just a length by Wings Of Eagles and then went down to subsequent St Leger winner Capri by a neck in the Irish equivalent at The Curragh.
Since then, however, he has beaten all-comers when landing two Group 2s and three subsequent successes at the highest level. Crackman’s Group 1 victories include a facile seven lengths romp over course and distance in the British Champion Stakes back in October.
This son of Frankel looked as good as ever on reappearance when he readily landed the Prix Ganay at the reopened Longchamp by four lengths. Although Cracksman then toiled to a game head success in the 1m 4f Coronation Cup at Epsom, Dettori gave a superb demonstration of horsemanship in the saddle to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Connections know Ascot suits him far better than Epsom Downs and that is why Cracksman is all the rage now dropping back in trip for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. From a betting perspective, it is simply impossible to oppose him against this field off level weights with so much in hand on them.Poet’s Word can confirm British Champion form for forecastWith only seven runners in the lineup, the colt that chased Cracksman home on British Champions Day, Poet’s Word, is taken to do so again for Sir Michael Stoute. The five-year-old warmed up for Royal Ascot by staying on well to land the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown by 2 1/4 lengths from Laraaib.
This obviously demands more, but Poet’s Word has three seconds at the highest level which enhance his forecast claims. From the last of those at Meydan in the Sheema Classic, he has three lengths to find on the re-opposing Hawkbill but, with going on the firm side of good and the trip two furlongs shorter, the market has already spoken for him.
Poet’s Word looks better suited to underfoot conditions than the Godolphin horse and is trading at a much shorter price in the betting. Among Prince Of Wales’s Stakes betting tips, he rates a solid punt for the straight forecast behind red-hot favourite Cracksman.
Cliffs Of Moher has each-way case from remainderOf the others in this small but select field, Aidan O’Brien trained Cliffs Of Moher has claims of making the frame if treated on the pick of his form. He finished ahead of Cracksman when second in The Derby last year, yet those placings were emphatically reversed over course and distance in the aforementioned British Champion Stakes.
Cliffs Of Moher has clearly not lived up to all the hype that surrounded him in his Classic year, winning at Listed level at Chester before being highly tried but always coming up short or bombing out in Group 1 company.
Connections are persevering with him, however, and while his 15 lengths seventh of 10 to Cracksman before going to the Breeders’ Cup suggests he has plenty to find, Cliffs Of Moher did win a Group 2 on his penultimate start.
That was at Naas where he stayed on well to win going away under Ryan Moore by 1 3/4 lengths from Success Days. Cliifs Of Moher found stablemate Lancaster Bomber too good for him last time out in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh, meaning success at the highest level continues to elude him.
As he was just beaten two lengths, that suggests he can still be competitive at this level. Cliffs Of Moher is certainly capable of finishing in the first three even though he’s rated lower than Poet’s Word, Hawkbill and Eminent.
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