Rewilding, brilliantly ridden by Frankie Dettori got up in the last 50 yards to inflict a shock defeat of the huge odds on favourite, So You Think, in the Group One, Prince of Wales Stakes over ten furlongs at Royal Ascot on day two of the 2011 Royal Meeting.
A very strong pace was set by Jan Vermeer, stablemate of the 4/11 favourite who went five lengths clear by halfway, setting the race up perfectly for So You Think. Or at least so it was thought.
So You Think closed the gap as they came into the straight and quickly went three lengths clear in very impressive style. At this point the race looked over with So You Think looking to justify the odds and confirm his superstar status. However, whilst the rest of the field struggled, Rewilding, urged on by Dettori began to launch a counter attack in the home straight and an unlikely result began to look very much ‘on the cards’.
With every stride, Rewilding closed up and finally went clear 50 yards from the line winning in the end by a neck, providing the Bookmakers with a huge unexpected windfall. The rest of the field were six lengths further adrift.
In the post race interviews, Aidan
O’Brien, trainer of So You Think had no-one to blame except himself. In
effect, he pleaded guilty to being too easy on the horse at home and not
having him race fit on the day. He does not believe that the horse ran badly
and is fully expecting him to come back to winning ways quickly. There has
been no decision regarding what his next race will be but it would appear
that the Group One Eclipse Stakes at
Meanwhile, Rewilding, who appears to
have improved out of all proportion as a four year old has been quoted at
10/1 to win the Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe at Longchamp in October. His trainer Godolphin’s Mahmood Al
Zarooni, brought him back in distance from his Group One Sheema Classic win
during the Dubai Festival in March. Before that as a three year old he had
run sixth in the one mile six furlong St Leger at Doncaster was third in the
Epsom Derby behind Workforce and won the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at
He clearly benefited by having come into Prince of Wales fresh and by having proven staying power in a fast run race. He also benefited by having Dettori on board who rode one of his best ever races, timing his charge to perfection.