King Charles dealt major Royal Ascot blow as star horse withdrawn

King Charles III's unbeaten colt Portcullis has been withdrawn from the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, a Group One race worth £700,000 run over a mile. Trainers John and Thady Gosden decided against rushing the three-year-old son of Frankel into elite competition, opting for a more patient development path. Portcullis had previously impressed with a five-and-a-half-length debut victory at Newmarket under jockey Ryan Moore, making the withdrawal a notable blow to royal hopes at the prestigious meeting.