Prince Eiji

Prince Eiji ran well to finish fourth in the Wolferton Stakes. Drawn 13 of 13, he was sent forward early on by Andrea Atzeni, and he disputed the lead early on, up on the outside of Forest Ranger. Still travelling strongly as they turned for home, he moved to the front and kicked on at the two-furlong pole, at which point all of his rivals were under pressure behind him. He lasted in front too until the furlong marker, when Mountain Angel got to him on the far side, and he was just run out of the places close home.

It was a fine run by Roger Varian's colt, ridden up with the lead in a race in which the hold-up horses came to the fore. He was the only horse ridden prominently who finished in the first five. He had never been beyond nine furlongs before in his life, and it appeared as if the final furlong just caught him out, on the ground, given how prominently he was ridden. A drop back down to nine furlongs could suit him well, he ran well over that trip at Newmarket in the Group 3 Darley Stakes last October. He is regally-bred, by Dubawi out of Pretty Polly and Prix Jean Romanet winner Izzi Top, and there should be more to come.

Ascot, 18^th June 2020

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