Auguste Rodin showcased his tremendous talent Wednesday when the son of Deep Impact recorded his sixth Group 1 success in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on the second day of the Royal Ascot meeting.
His victory secured a guaranteed return to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf, a race he won last year.
Sent off as the 3-2 favorite, Auguste Rodin repelled the challenge of the fast-finishing French duo of 33-1 shot Zarakem and 7-1 Horizon Dore to triumph by three-quarters of a length. This victory represents a fifth win in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes for trainer Aidan O’Brien, with the 4-year-old Auguste Rodin joining Duke of Marmalade in 2008, So You Think in 2012, Highland Reel in 2017, and Love in 2021 on the race’s roll of honor.
Speaking moments after he crossed the line, jockey Ryan Moore said, “He’s a great horse. He took me there going very well and when I asked him, he showed great courage and he wanted to win.”
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Inspiral, the 9-2 second choice, got off to the worst possible start after she dwelt in the starting stalls and gave away many lengths to her rivals, ultimately finishing sixth. As the field turned for home, Auguste Rodin took up the running from the pacemakers Snobbish and Hans Andersen. Close to the finish, Zarakem and Horizon Dore began to close in on the leader but failed to wear him down. Auguste Rodin, out of the Galileo mare Rhododendron, completed the 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.12 over a course rated good to firm.
In the aftermath, the possibility of a return to the Breeders’ Cup to run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on dirt at Del Mar was touted by O’Brien.
“The Breeders’ Cup is where everyone wants to be in the autumn,” he said. “Hopefully, everything is well with Auguste Rodin in the autumn, that’s where we’ll be if he is. The lads (owners) will decide what they want to do. I was very surprised when he worked on the dirt (last year at Santa Anita) at how he handled it. He can do anything really, but we’re more confident we have him worked out now.”
Looking ahead to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, O’Brien said: “Del Mar is beautiful down by the sea. Every Breeders’ Cup day is special. There is so much history, so much prestige. They are days that you can’t replace.”
In addition to Wednesday’s win and the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf, Auguste Rodin also captured the Epsom Derby (G1), the Irish Derby (G1) and the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) last year.