Nayef eclipses Godolphin pair to take the feature

Nayef, ridden by Richard Hills, turned the tables on Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad to land the Prince of Wales's Stakes …

Nayef, ridden by Richard Hills, turned the tables on Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad to land the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot today.

The five-year-old colt, a 5-1 chance, took command in the straight and won by two and a half lengths from 50-1 outsider Rakti with 7-1 chance Islington third of the 10 runners.

Moon Ballad, the mount of Frankie Dettori, had stormed to victory in the World Cup on dirt in March with Nayef six lengths back in third. But it was a different story on the Ascot turf with Moon Ballad, the 2-1 favourite, fading badly in the straight to finish last but one after making most of the running.

Nayef's trainer Marcus Tregoning said: "He really won it emphatically. He's got plenty of speed and I'm sure he will be well supported when he eventually goes to stud - but not just yet, I hope.

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Hills said: "I know my horse stays real well so I was happy with the pace and I just wanted to keep him happy.

Moon Ballad was one of two Godolphin runners along with Grandera in the Group One contest, but there was to be no repeat of Tuesday when Dubai Destination won for Sheikh Mohammed's team.

Nayef, owned by the sheikh's brother, Hamdan Al Maktoum, is likely to run at Ascot again next month in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes where he finished a close-up second last year.

Earlier, the opening Jersey Stakes went to 20-1 outsider Membership, ridden by veteran U.S. jockey Gary Stevens. Stevens, riding his fourth Royal Ascot winner, said: "He had to bide his time and it all worked out well.

Stevens, 40, is currently juggling his riding career with one in acting after taking a leading role, playing a jockey, in the new Hollywood movie "Seabiscuit."