Prince Follows In Queen’s Footsteps
15 December, 2018
Thoroughbred
Arcadia Prince has gone some way to emulating the deeds of his little sister Arcadia Queen, taking out the Group 3 Scahill Stakes (1400m) at Ascot this afternoon.
Arcadia Queen was a dominant winner of the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic last weekend and although it was only a Group 3 race today, Arcadia Prince was every bit as impressive.
The Pierro gelding’s job of winning the $250,000 event was made significantly easier just moments before the runners entered the mounting yard, when race favourite Valour Road was scratched.
It was a sharp step up in class today for Arcadia Prince, who had won three of his four starts this campaign in 66+ and 72+ races.
Arcadia Prince had just Profit Street behind him in running, as Wrinkly and Great Shot set the speed.
For much of the straight, it looked as if the four-year-old would struggle to run down Great Shot, who gave a strong kick in the final 200m.
However, jockey William Pike urged Arcadia Prince to victory in the last 50m, eventually getting over the top of a game Great Shot.
Red Publisher, who had been beaten by Arcadia Prince in his last two starts, put in one of the best efforts of his career to run third.
Winning owner-breeder Bob Peters said he was relieved to see Arcadia Prince win today, especially after Arcadia Queen’s win last week.
“He had a lot to live up to after last Saturday,” he said.
“I liked him a lot in his year that he came through, I thought he was the best of our crop that year.
“He hasn’t shown it to us, until now.”
It was a second straight win in the race for Peters and trainer Adam Durrant, after Silverstream won last year, while it was Pike’s first win in the race since 2015.
Meanwhile, Royal Command has recorded his first win in 504 days, taking out the TABtouch-Better Your Bet Handicap (1800m).
The Street Sense gelding had performed admirably without winning in six runs this year, but was perfectly ridden by Pike today to record his fourth win from 12 starts.
Tim Walker