Royal Ascot Wednesday preview: For or against Los Angeles?

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sat June 14, 2025 · 1d ago

He's a warm favourite for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday - but are our Podcast team for or against Los Angeles?

They had their say in this week's episode.

Billy Nash: “I think he’s vulnerable here. I’ve always thought he’s more of a mile-and-a-half horse than a mile-and-a-quarter horse. They seem to be manufacturing him into a ten-furlong horse and he’s done nothing wrong.

“He’s very tough and very genuine and hard to but if you look at his win the last day at the Curragh in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, it’s a mile-and-a-quarter and half a furlong whereas here at Ascot it’s actually a little less than a mile-and-a-quarter. It’s a slightly different track and OK Ascot is stiff, but I think he’s going to be slightly vulnerable on Wednesday.

“He won the Tatttersalls Gold Cup but not by much and is reopposed by Anmaat and White Birch who was unlucky in running that day. I’m not saying he’d have definitely won but he’d have finished right up on top of them. Los Angels will run his race, he’ll be hard to , but if he’s going to get beaten, I think this is the race to beat him in."

Ed Chamberlin: “The race has slightly fallen apart. Economics doesn’t go, Kalpana runs in the Hardwicke. It looks like being a small but select field and a rematch from the Curragh race where I’d imagine Jim Crowley would like another go on Anmaat.

“But then Los Angeles is so tough and will take another step forward. But ten furlongs at Ascot I’d like to think Anmaat would have too much speed for him but it wouldn’t be a confident one. You just know Los Angles is going to say ‘catch me if you can’, and Crowley will leave it a little bit later."

Listen to the Royal Ascot Preview Podcast

Graham Cunningham: “Los Angeles isn't elegant but he finds loads, absolutely tons off the bridle. But I’m with Billy’s line of argument here. It’s not a short straight at Ascot, it’s over two furlongs, but generally to win this race you have to show genuine acceleration and I’m not sure he’s got it.

“I think the likes of Anmaat, White Birch maybe, and Map Of Stars, are dangers. I have a lot time for the French horse, I think he's progressing really strongly and I’d be very surprised if he’s not a 120-plus horse.

"Of course, Los Angeles is super consistent and I’m not going to hold his Champion Stakes defeat against him when he was well behind Anmaat. That was only 13 day safter a very hard race in the Arc, but I’m just not sure at little short of 2000 metres, fastish ground at Ascot, isn't going to be ideal, even with Continuous trying to drag the finish out of the speed horses. I'm tentative here but think Anmaat and Map Of Stars might be the way to go.”

David Johnson: “I don’t have a strong view. It comes down to watching the Tatteralls Gold Cup and thinking that Anmaat, with that run under his belt, could reverse the form.

"Pretty much for the reasons outlined above, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Los Angeles is able to grind it out. He’s one of those horses who given the price he is and vulnerability he has, I’d be looking to get beat and I’m leaning towards Anmaat at this stage."

The Sporting Life Racing Club in one click

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