Auguste Rodin secured a victory in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, holding off late surges from Zarakem and Horizon Dore, with Ryan Moore as the jockey and Aidan O'Brien as the trainer. Inspiral, who had a slow start, was unable to mount a serious challenge.

This win marked Auguste Rodin’s first triumph of the season after disappointing performances in the Dubai Sheema Classic and a second-place finish behind White Birch in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, which had cast doubts on his top-level abilities.

Moore was effusive in his praise for the four-year-old, stating, "He’s a great little horse. There have been reasons for his past underperformances—first runs, and perhaps the King George last season came after a tough run in both Derbies. The win gives the horse a passage to the Breeders' Cup Turf as an automatic entry.

"People are quick to criticize horses. We kept the Derby winner in training, and as soon as they lose, people want to criticize. When you send them to stud, they criticize that too—you can never please everyone.

"He took me through the race effortlessly and waited for me to signal him. When I did, he showed immense courage, putting his head down and demonstrating a strong desire to win. He’s a fantastic horse, a proper horse, and he truly deserved this victory." 

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Moore maintained a strong position on Auguste Rodin, closely following the pace set by Snobbish and Hans Andersen. O'Brien explained that this was part of a tactical adjustment, attributing the horse's previous poor performances in last year’s 2,000 Guineas, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and this year in Dubai, to incorrect riding instructions.

"We're so delighted for everyone," said O'Brien, celebrating his 400th Group/Grade 1 win on the Flat. "He’s a very special horse and handles a mile and a half exceptionally well.

"When he gets to the front, he tends to wait, so I probably got my instructions wrong all the time. I was positioning him too far back, and if there was no pace, he was out of contention. We changed everything, and Ryan decided to ride him more positively. I believe those past blips were my fault due to incorrect instructions."

The fast pace set by the two pacemakers put a strain on Inspiral’s stamina, according to her joint-trainer John Gosden, after the filly finished sixth, just ahead of the underperforming Blue Rose Cen.

"They set a very hard pace over a stiff mile and a quarter, which tested her stamina," Gosden said. "At Santa Anita, the mile and a quarter is much easier, and the pace was slower that day.

"Auguste Rodin is a Derby winner, and they went flat out today. She made a move but flattened out in the last furlong—she wasn’t beaten by much. There’s no reason she can’t return to racing against fillies, but today was a stamina test, and she didn’t pass it, but that’s not her fault."