Hard-knocking Prohibit flew home in the final furlong to earn a well-deserved first group I victory in the $488,313 King’s Stand Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot June 14. The King’s Stand is the fourth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, a nine-race series of lucrative turf sprints staged worldwide.
Prohibit, a 6-year-old gelded son of Oasis Dream, entered the King’s Stand off of a short head defeat to Wizz Kid in the Prix du Gros-Chene (Fr-II) at Chantilly June 5. The Robert Cowell trainee, who thrives on turf sprinting, had already made eight starts prior to the King’s Stand, in a season which began in February in Dubai.
As expected, Hungarian star Overdose, the ‘Budapest Bullet’, shot straight to the front as soon as the gates opened. He was quickly joined by the Hong Kong raider, Sweet Sanette, who pressed Overdose for the first two furlongs.
Sweet Sanette continued to race strongly, eventually edging clear of Overdose with a little over two furlongs remaining. The 6-year-old mare was able to open up a slight lead but several closers were bearing down on her, including Prohibit and Star Witness.
Prohibit, under a strong drive by Jim Crowley, collared Sweet Sanette with less than a furlong to run, powering past the mare to take the lead. He had plenty left in the tank to withstand the late charge of Star Witness, who came up a half-length short at the wire.
It was another half-length back to Sweet Sanette in third, with Overdose finishing a neck further back in fourth. The final time for the race, which was contested over a straight five furlongs, was :59.50 over a part of the course listed as good.
The two U.S. raiders in the field, Bridgetown and Holiday For Kitten, finished 12th and 13th, respectively.
The victory was the first in a group I for the gelding’s connections. Cowell was overcome with emotion after the race, stating, “I’m overwhelmed. I’ve got sunglasses on, so you won’t notice I’m crying. It’s the best day of my racing life-it’s awesome.”
The result was part of a banner day for Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farm, who not only bred the King’s Stand victor, but is also the owner/breeder of Frankel (St. James’s Palace Stakes) and Cityscape (third in the Queen Anne Stakes). Prohibit was sold by Juddmonte at the Tattersalls’ October sale in 2009 for $147,000. He is campaigned by the partnership of Dasmal, Rix, Barr, Morley, and Penney.
Prohibit is out of Well Warned, a stakes-placed daughter of champion Warning. He is a half-brother to stakes-winners Prior Warning (Barathea) and Emergency (Dr Fong), and hails from the female family of champions Reams of Verse and Zafonic.
Prohibit outfinishes Star Witness and Sweet Sanette to win the King's Stand Stakes.
