Kingdom Of Bahrain Princess of Wales's Stakes
Group 2, Newmarket 15:35
£125,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus,
1m 4f, Class 1   
Thursday 10th July 2025

1 El Cordobes 7/2
2 Wimbledon Hawkeye 5/2
3 Arabian Crown 4/1
4 ran NR: Ghostwriter Distances: 2l, 1¾l, 11l
Time: 2m 32.36s (slow by 2.46s)

There are few better places to bring up a career milestone than on the hallowed turf of Newmarket’s July Course — and William Buick did just that, steering El Cordobes to a landmark 2,000th British winner.

In a race that unfolded with plenty of intrigue following the late scratching of Ghostwriter, it was El Cordobes — one of two Godolphin runners from the Charlie Appleby yard — who rose to the occasion. Sent off at 7-2 with more of the market attention falling on 13-8 favourite Palladium from the Gosden yard, Buick gave the four-year-old a ride that was all poise and precision.

Happy to bide his time in the early stages, Buick angled out at the three-furlong pole, found daylight, and asked for an effort — and El Cordobes responded generously, striding away up the hill to win by two clear lengths from Wimbledon Hawkeye, stamping both his authority and his rider’s name into another page of racing history.

“It means a lot,” Buick said, still breathless from the moment, “and I suppose it tells me — and everyone else — that I’ve been doing this a while! You don’t really keep count until someone tells you you’re close. I didn’t know when it would come — and to do it here, at Newmarket, my home track, for Charlie and Godolphin… you couldn’t script it better.”

There was a wry smile as he added: “These things don’t always fall your way — I might’ve ended up ticking it off on a rainy Monday at Redcar, no offence! But today? This was special.”

Buick, 36, has long been a cornerstone of the Godolphin-Appleby axis, and few rides have been more celebrated than his 2018 Derby victory aboard Masar — a moment Appleby himself still holds dear.

“If you’re asking for the ride that meant the most, it’s Masar in the Derby,” the trainer reflected. “But if you’re asking when he’s made the difference between winning and losing? It’s got to be the Breeders’ Cup — he’s lethal round there. We’re lucky to have him.”

The numbers back that up. Since becoming Appleby’s stable jockey in 2015, Buick has landed four of the five British Classics, the Oaks remaining the elusive final piece. He’s now won the 2000 Guineas twice (Notable Speech and Ruling Court), doubled up in the 1000 Guineas this year with Desert Flower, claimed three St Legers, and of course, has that Derby under his belt.

Still, for all the accolades, the hunger remains.

“There’s still so much I haven’t done,” Buick admitted. “You’re always looking for the next one. The Oaks — that’s the glaring omission. And of course, the Derby… that one’s always going to stand out. It’s the race. The one everyone dreams about.”

Only a handful of currently active riders have reached the 2,000 mark — Ryan Moore, Jamie Spencer, Joe Fanning, Luke Morris, Jim Crowley, and Frankie Dettori, now plying his trade Stateside. To join such company is no small feat.

And just in case anyone thought he might rest on laurels for the afternoon, Buick was quick to chalk up number 2,001 in the very next race, producing a silky ride aboard Crimson Rose in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes. The Appleby-trained filly, a daughter of Invincible Spirit out of Group winner Ideal Beauty, won with ease by four lengths — as if to remind us that this story is far from finished.

A landmark reached, but clearly not a destination. For William Buick, it’s always about the next one.

Ghostwriter was withdrawn in the paddock, traIner Clive Cox explained: "I’m sorry to say he’s sore. It was just a freak accident. "I was putting the saddle on when he reared over backwards and sat down. He’s obviously not going to be running after that, and I’m very sorry for everyone not least his owner. "He’s sore, so we’ll keep checking him and keep everyone aware of it."

Princess Of Wales's Stakes (Group 2)
£125,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
4 ran
Going: Good to Firm

POS. (DRAW) FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (3)    El Cordobes 4 9-8 Charlie Appleby William Buick 7/2
2 (5) 2 Wimbledon Hawkeye 3 8-10 James Owen Sean D Bowen 5/2
3 (2) 1¾ Arabian Crown 4 9-8 Charlie Appleby James Doyle 4/1
4 (4) 11 Palladium 4 9-8 John & Thady Gosden Ryan Moore 13/8F
NR 3 (1) Ghostwriter 4 9-8 Clive Cox NON RUNNER

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