Water To Wine taking Group-race plunge at Ascot
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Thu 18 Jun 2026
Water To Wine puts his unbeaten record and tall reputation on the line in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday.
John and Thady Gosden’s colt made a big splash on his Newbury debut in April and was due to test his Derby credentials against Epsom favourite Benvenuto Cellini in last month’s Chester Vase, before a spiked temperature scuppered his participation.
Water To Wine ultimately missed the premier Classic at Epsom, but having since demolished his rivals in a low-key novice event on the all-weather at Kempton he belatedly gets the chance to test his powers in a Group Two contest colloquially known as the ‘Ascot Derby’.
Tom Goff, racing and bloodstock adviser to owner George Strawbridge, said: “He’s a very short price for a horse that’s won a maiden and a novice, but it will be very exciting to see him back in action.
“He’s a beautiful horse who has always been held in high regard, but this is a different level of horse than he’s run against before.
“This was always the race the trainers highlighted, it was even mentioned after he won at Newbury. But then of course we did look at the Chester Vase and he had a Derby entry, but this was always the race that John mentioned as the likely target and the race at Kempton will hopefully have brought him on.
“It’s a big step up – you’re running against a horse that won the Gallinule Stakes (Causeway), so this isn’t a Mickey Mouse field and it’s going to be very competitive, I’ve no doubt.
“This horse is very much a long-term project, but of course we’re all very excited about Friday.”
Aidan O’Brien considered running Benvenuto Cellini in the King Edward after he was controversially declared a non-runner having finished down the field in the Derby, but he instead relies on Causeway, who steps up in distance and class having won each of his three starts so far this season.
Charlie Johnston’s Derby eighth Ancient Egypt should be more comfortable on this quicker surface, while Karl Burke is looking forward to saddling Golden Story, who was third behind O’Brien’s French Derby winner Constitution River in Chester’s Dee Stakes before edging a thrilling Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood.
“He’ll go the mile and a half and he’s a horse with a big future I think,” said the Spigot Lodge Handler.
“He will step up after Ascot and he could turn into a St Leger horse, certainly I think he’ll stay that sort of trip.
“I think a step up to a mile and a half around Ascot will be perfect for him.”
Echo Of Stars (Oliver Cole) and Venetian Prince (Andrew Balding) complete the six-strong field.
Burke also has a leading contender for the curtain-raising Albany Stakes in the form of Wathnan Racing’s €625,000 breeze-up purchase Light Of Dawn.
The Showcasing filly lived up to the billing on her Carlisle debut and while that was only 11 days ago, Burke is unconcerned about the quick turnaround.
He said: “She came in very late because Wathnan like to give their breeze-up horses a couple of easy weeks afterwards and when she went to the pre-trainer and they got her going she had a little issue, so she was held back for a week and consequently came into us very late.
“Carlisle was the first day she could run for us because of the 14-day rule, so that caught us out a little bit. We would have liked to have run her before that so we went there using it as a piece of work as much as anything.
“She’s a big, raw filly who will learn an awful lot from the other day and enjoyed it as well. She’s bounced out of it really, I’m very happy with her.”
O’Brien’s Curragh winner Sun Goddess, Kevin Philippart De Foy’s impressive Yarmouth scorer Silent Beauty and George Boughey’s Leicester victor Libertango are all prominent in the market, while connections of Jolivette – a debut winner at Newmarket for Andrew Balding – feel she could outrun her double-figure odds.
Barry Mahon, racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “We got her out at Newmarket with an idea that this was where we wanted to go with her and everything went well.
“She duly won the first day, which was great, and she’s a very, very well-bred filly and a beautiful looking filly.
“I think at a big price she could run a good race.”
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