Botti ready to step Prince Of India up to seven furlongs for Hungerford Stakes

July Cup eyecatcher Prince Of India will step up to seven furlongs on Saturday week for a shot at Newbury’s Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes.
Marco Botti’s four-year-old was ultra-consistent last term, progressing rapidly through the ranks and notching up four victories in the process.
He has continued to thrive this term and although yet to add to his career tally in 2026, he produced arguably a career best at Newmarket last month, finishing a luckless sixth beaten only two and a half lengths.
Botti said: “It was a big run in the July Cup and he was perhaps a touch unlucky.
Pat Dobbs said after the race he didn’t have the gap when he needed it and he was close enough and not beaten far.
“I thought he ran better than the result would suggest. He was an outsider but we always thought he wouldn’t be far off that level.
He’s gone up to 111 after that race and he’s a nice horse who wants fast ground and he likes a straight course.”
Half of Prince Of India’s career victories have come over seven furlongs and Botti now feels the time is right to race over that distance again, with Newbury expected to play to his strengths when he reports for Group Two duty.
“We’ll go for the Hungerford Stakes now and he needs to go up to seven furlongs but it’s an easier seven at Newbury than it would be at Newmarket and we know he stays the extra furlong anyway,” added the Newmarket handler.
“He did win over seven furlongs as a three-year-old, but has since shown his best form over a stiff six furlongs at places like Ascot and the July course. However, I don’t think seven furlongs will be an issue.”