Ombudsman takes International crown at York
The latter horse was afforded an enormous lead and as he rounded the turn for home it looked quite possible that the chasing pack would not catch him, but as he tired, Ombudsman was gaining ground.
He eventually swept through to grab the lead and while Delacroix also made late gains, Ombudsman emerged a three-and-a-half-length winner.
Birr Castle was transferred to the Gosdens to make the running at York and John Gosden said: '(Trainer) Andre Fabre said the horse was in top form and 'I hope he does a good job for you John, I would like you to have the same result as in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood (when the pacemaker won)'!
'I said 'OK Andre, I will do my best to make sure he goes a nice, even pace'.
'I thought with two furlongs to run Andre had won the race! You don't often see that, he's run a huge race to be third.
'I did say to William that if he'd sat four lengths off the pacemaker he'd have won by 10 lengths but there we go.
'What happened was the Japanese jockey was with Rab (Havlin on Birr Castle) but then he kept taking back and let Rab slip the field. Past the two marker, he was still six lengths in front.
'William said when he let him (Ombudsman) go, he absolutely flew and went from second gear to fifth gear in the blink of an eye.'
Ombudsman had finished a neck behind Delacroix in the Eclipse last time out, but Gosden felt that race was perhaps not run to suit.
He said: 'The Eclipse was a muddling race and we'll leave it at that. Full marks to Delacroix, but in an evenly-run race we were the superior horse today.
'This is a great win but I did think for a moment Andre would be the lucky man.'
The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day
Ombudsman was claiming the second Group One victory of his eight-race career to date, with Gosden's sights already set on more top-level success.
He added: 'He had a little problem as a baby and we never raced him at two and he came along gradually. He's getting better and better, has trained well and was unbeaten last year. His only defeat this year was in the muddling Eclipse and he's a proper horse.
'The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day. It will be Sheikh Mohammed's decision if he stays in training but he is a sportsman.
'William thinks he'll stay a mile and a half but I think why change things? Were he to go for the Arc, we'd need one of the rare occasions with a fast-ground Arc – which do happen occasionally.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Ombudsman takes International crown at York
The 7-4 favourite was ridden by William Buick for John and Thady Gosden, with the fellow Godolphin-owned runner Birr Castle sent out to make the running as a rank outsider in the field of six. The latter horse was afforded an enormous lead and as he rounded the turn for home it looked quite possible that the chasing pack would not catch him, but as he tired, Ombudsman was gaining ground. He eventually swept through to grab the lead and while Delacroix also made late gains, Ombudsman emerged a three-and-a-half-length winner. Birr Castle was transferred to the Gosdens to make the running at York and John Gosden said: '(Trainer) Andre Fabre said the horse was in top form and 'I hope he does a good job for you John, I would like you to have the same result as in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood (when the pacemaker won)'! 'I said 'OK Andre, I will do my best to make sure he goes a nice, even pace'. 'I thought with two furlongs to run Andre had won the race! You don't often see that, he's run a huge race to be third. 'I did say to William that if he'd sat four lengths off the pacemaker he'd have won by 10 lengths but there we go. 'What happened was the Japanese jockey was with Rab (Havlin on Birr Castle) but then he kept taking back and let Rab slip the field. Past the two marker, he was still six lengths in front. 'William said when he let him (Ombudsman) go, he absolutely flew and went from second gear to fifth gear in the blink of an eye.' Ombudsman had finished a neck behind Delacroix in the Eclipse last time out, but Gosden felt that race was perhaps not run to suit. He said: 'The Eclipse was a muddling race and we'll leave it at that. Full marks to Delacroix, but in an evenly-run race we were the superior horse today. 'This is a great win but I did think for a moment Andre would be the lucky man.' The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day Ombudsman was claiming the second Group One victory of his eight-race career to date, with Gosden's sights already set on more top-level success. He added: 'He had a little problem as a baby and we never raced him at two and he came along gradually. He's getting better and better, has trained well and was unbeaten last year. His only defeat this year was in the muddling Eclipse and he's a proper horse. 'The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day. It will be Sheikh Mohammed's decision if he stays in training but he is a sportsman. 'William thinks he'll stay a mile and a half but I think why change things? Were he to go for the Arc, we'd need one of the rare occasions with a fast-ground Arc – which do happen occasionally.'
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Leopardstown option for Delacroix following York eclipse
The Ballydoyle runner bounced back from Derby disappointment to win a pulsating renewal of the Eclipse in early July, coming from an unpromising position to somehow grab victory from the jaws of defeat at the chief expense of Prince of Wales's Stakes victor Ombudsman in a Sandown thriller. The latter was the 7-4 favourite to gain his revenge in what turned out to be an even more fascinating affair on the Knavesmire, with Ombudsman's pacemaker Birr Castle slipping the field and building up a huge lead over the chasing pack. The big two eventually wore him down, but it was John and Thady Gosden's Ombudsman who was three and a half lengths clear at the line, with Delacroix only beating 150-1 shot Birr Castle to the runner-up spot by half a length. O'Brien said: 'It was just a mess really wasn't it? We had discussed before the race that if the pacemaker went and nobody followed him we would follow him, so obviously when they jumped out Ryan (Moore) thought they were going to follow the pacemaker but made the decision to sit in. 'Obviously when he sat in they just kept going slower and slower and slower and he was in a pocket and that was it, it was finished. It was over really as all they have done is sprint down the straight and the rest is history. 'Our horses usually like high-tempo races, but this was the way this time and John's horse won and it was what he wanted. He got the result and we didn't today.' Delacroix's defeat rounded off a disappointing day for O'Brien, having seen his dual Derby hero Lambourn finish only fifth in the preceding Great Voltigeur Stakes. He added: 'It happens every day of the week and it will happen again. Remember, you learn more from losing than winning. 'We learnt if he's well we will go back to Leopardstown with Delacroix and hopefully this won't happen again. 'This horse doesn't mind making the running and has won from the front, so he would be very happy doing that.' Andrew Balding's high-class mare See The Fire finished fourth, with Japanese raider Danon Decile – making his first appearance since beating last month's King George hero Calandagan in the Dubai Sheema Classic in April – ultimately disappointing in fifth. Trainer Shogo Yasuda said: 'We couldn't show his real ability, but this experience will be great for the future. I'm sorry we couldn't show his true ability. 'We may have got it wrong, but we got great support and we want to thank them for that. Especially James Horton (who has had the horse stabled at his yard) and many other people who were really important for helping us while we were here. 'It was really unfortunate we couldn't show himself at his best for everyone.' Last of all in sixth was Francis-Henri Graffard's previously unbeaten French challenger Daryz. There was some confusion as to whether the three-year-old's rider Mickael Barzalona had weighed in afterwards, prompting an objection from the clerk of the scales, but it was eventually confirmed he had and the result stood. Graffard said: 'He lacked experience during the race. He was racing strongly on the bridle and looking at everything. He picked up really nicely but then just got tired late on. 'We'll see how he comes back and make a plan.'
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Minnie Hauk at concert pitch for Yorkshire Oaks date
Aidan O'Brien's Frankel filly has been outstanding so far this season, collecting three successive Oaks titles starting with the Listed Cheshire contest, before adding Classic strikes in both the Epsom and Curragh editions. Now she turns her attention to the Knavesmire, with only three rivals opting to take her on in the mile-and-a-half Group One – including Ribblesdale-winning stablemate Garden Of Eden. 'This was always the obvious place to bring Minnie Hauk after the Curragh and she seems in good form since then,' said O'Brien. 'The trip and ground are perfect for her and since the Irish Oaks everything has gone well with her. 'Garden Of Eden won the Ribblesdale and then we sent her for the German Oaks but that didn't work out. 'She was drawn very badly and she just never really got into it, it never happened.' Ed Walker's Qilin Queen was eighth behind Minnie Hauk in the Oaks at Epsom, the only real blip in a consistent career thus far that includes a Group Two success in the Prix de Malleret at ParisLongchamp last time out. 'Qilin Queen is a lovely filly who has done nothing wrong in her career,' the trainer said. 'The Oaks was the only bad run in her career and I think you can put that down to the soft ground and she probably wasn't that happy on the track. 'However, on top of the ground she's really not put a foot wrong and we know she stays the trip well. 'She will have to step forward significantly to challenge this lot, but she's entitled to.' David O'Meara's Estrange is the other British-trained entrant, a striking grey who has won both starts this season when taking the Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes and then the Lancashire Oaks. She steps up to the top level, although connections are prepared to make a late call on her participation on the Knavesmire, eager to ensure an easier surface for the four-year-old. 'We'll have a chat to connections tonight and see what they think,' said O'Meara at York on Wednesday. 'I walked it on Monday and I thought they had put plenty of water on and it felt good to soft. The (slow) times (today) could be a little bit of headwind affecting them as much as anything else but I thought they had watered very well.'
