Royal Ascot wrap: Godolphin-owned Ombudsman takes day two feature with sizzling Prince of Wales's display
Successful on each of his first four starts last season, including a Group Three win in France, John and Thady Gosden's colt met with defeat for the first time when second to Almaqam on his return to action in last month's Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.
The Godolphin-owned four-year-old faced a further hike in class for this Group One feature, but after being settled well off the strong early pace by William Buick, he engaged overdrive once in the clear halfway up the straight and readily picked off the gallant Anmaat to win by two lengths going away.
See The Fire was third, another two and a half lengths behind the 7-1 winner, but Aidan O'Brien's Los Angeles, the 13-8 favourite, faded into fifth place.
Gosden senior said: "He's a special horse and it's just a question of an owner giving you the time to let them mature and get there.
"He's got a turn of foot and he (Buick) knew it, it was a matter of getting out, but I did notice when he finally got daylight there was a furlong to go."
He went on: "It's a question of, when you get to the straight, whether you get the luck. He wasn't in a position where he could swing round the field, it was more of a case of waiting for the gap.
"He was very patient. I knew when there was a gap at the furlong pole that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot - he was patient and he was rewarded.
"When we bought him he was an immature horse, he didn't run as a two-year-old and as a three-year-old we brought him on and then put him away. He's horse who is now properly grown and developed as a four-year-old.
"He's a mile-and-a-quarter horse, he's got a wonderful turn of foot as you saw and I think we'll play to that strength. As far as I'm concerned he's done nothing but grow in stature.
"He is a horse that because he hasn't over-raced this year, he could be a horse you could look at the Eclipse.
ADVERTISEMENT
"That wouldn't be my choice (to run him against Field Of Gold)."
Thady Gosden added: "When William found a gap he asked him to go through it and he was very quick.
"The Eclipse looks like the natural step to take. It was a top-class field today, it was the most elite field of the week as it often is and he showed what he was capable of there.
"It wasn't a huge field but it was highly elite, as you'd expect at this meeting. He certainly came up good."
Buick was noticeably jubilant on passing the line, after an opening day that had seen high-profile reverses for Notable Speech and Ruling Court.
He said: "This place tames lions. It's so special to win here because it's so tough, everyone comes here in great form and everyone is doing their very best of course.
"They went a hard gallop. I was always going to have to ride for a bit of luck and he quickened instantly. I thought he was impressive.
"I think that was a taste of what's to come for sure. He's got low miles on the clock, he's an exciting horse."
My Cloud scooted up the stands side rail to justify favouritism in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Roger Varian's charge was sent off the 3-1 market leader for one of the betting highlights of the week and was ridden with plenty of confidence by Silvestre de Sousa.
The 30-strong field split into three groups and while My Cloud was clearly in front on his side of the track, Bullet Point was running him close on the other side, with the favourite edging in front of the 11-1 second by three-quarters of a length, with Bopedro taking third at 50-1.
Rainbows Edge could finish only seventh in the colours of the British King and Queen, as Miss Information claimed top honours in the Kensington Palace Stakes.
With the well-fancied Reaching High unable to land a blow when the 11-4 favourite for Tuesday's Ascot Stakes, attentions turned to the next runner to carry the royal silks in the penultimate race on Wednesday's card and Rainbows Edge was the 3-1 market leader come the off.
The four-year-old had won three of her four starts for the the in-form training team of John and Thady Gosden, but while she travelled strongly for the first half of this straight mile contest under William Buick, she was a spent force with two furlongs to run and faded out of contention.
Crimson Advocate swooped with some style in the final furlong to secure a second Royal Ascot success, this time in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.
Winner of the Queen Mary Stakes two years ago when trained by American George Weaver, Crimson Advocate is now with John and Thady Gosden in the colours of Wathnan Racing and came from last to first in the hands of James McDonald.
Fellow Gosden runner and defending champion Running Lion made a bold bid to make all but had no answer as Crimson Advocate (13-2) collared her inside the final furlong and pulled clear of 5-4 favourite Cinderella's Dream.
Carmers maintained his unbeaten record with a determined display in the Queen's Vase.
A first runner at the Royal fixture for trainer Paddy Twomey, the Wootton Bassett colt had been successful on his two previous starts at Ballinrobe and Navan and was a 9-2 shot to complete his hat-trick in this one-mile-six-furlong Group Two.
Always to the fore in the hands of Billy Lee, Carmers took over from Shackleton rounding the home turn and answered his rider's every call to repel the staying-on pair of Furthur and Rahiebb, with three-quarters of a length the winning margin.
True Love shed her maiden tag in style with victory in the Queen Mary Stakes.
Trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, True Love had chased home Tuesday's Coventry Stakes winner and stablemate Gstaad on her latest start and was duly sent off the 9-4 favourite.
True Love took some time to work her way into the race as Zelaina set a scorching early pace, but she stayed on to real effect in the final furlong to beat 100-1 shot Flowerhead, with Patrick Biancone's American raider Lennilu third.
It was win number 93 for O'Brien at the big meeting, although rather surprisingly his first in the Queen Mary.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Watch chaos at Royal Ascot as winning horse Lazzat goes mad and almost KOs groundsworker with kick
CHAOS hit Royal Ascot when winning horse Lazzat almost drop-kicked a groundsworker in the head after getting loose and going mad. The Wathnan-owned sprinter just bagged more than half a million quid for winning the Platinum Jubilee Stakes. Advertisement But when jockey James Doyle was about to be interviewed by ITV, the horse appeared to get spooked by a cloth being raised in front of him. He dumped Doyle to the turf, turned round then galloped off down the track. Groundsworkers tried their best to calm the horse as he hit top stride. But it came inches from turning incredibly nasty indeed when Lazzat lashed out with his hind legs at one of the men. Advertisement He just missed his head but the man fell through the running rail like a drunk boxer through the ropes. There was then further drama in the immediate aftermath as rumours swirled that Doyle only had ten minutes to weigh in and make the victory official. Doyle needed his saddle but the problem was that Lazzat was still half-way down the track. It meant Lazzat, a notoriously tricky customer who had just been bought for enormous money, even kept King Charles waiting. Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing Comment The monarch was there to present the winning trophy to connections of the horse. Fortunately, Lazzat was eventually brought under control, Doyle was driven down to collect his saddle and then rushed back in a motor. More to follow. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Advertisement Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Royal Ascot is an absolute beast and keeps getting bigger – but Charlie Appleby can't buy a winner there
THE beast that is Royal Ascot just keeps on getting, erm, beastier. I don't think that's a word, but oh well. Across the board, attendances have been dipping at our biggest tracks after a post-Covid surge. But this meeting continues to buck the trend. 1 Field Of Gold has been the start of the Ascot show this week Credit: PA Crowds have been up on each of the first four days this week — no doubt thanks also to the sweltering weather. Ascot has thoroughly deserved to have its days in the sun, though. As much as I've become a dinosaur and roll my eyes at things considered 'Instagrammable', that's exactly what this meeting is . . . and people can't get enough. From the moment the gates opened punters were streaming in and queuing for 20 or 30 minutes at four designated selfie spots. The action has been good off the track, but even better on it. It's one of the great weeks of the year and people like to be a part of it. Long may that continue. The game's wealthiest owners spend millions to have runners here and the result, as ever, has been a top-class four days of racing with one day still to come. And, Jesus wept, it's been hot. So hot, in fact, the icing on the cakes in the press room was close to melting. You don't realise how tough we have it sometimes. Thanks in advance for your sympathy. There is no doubt in my mind who the star performer of the week was, and that's Field Of Gold. He won the St James's Palace by three and a half lengths and it could have been even more comprehensive had Colin Keane delayed his challenge a little longer. Those with a greater grasp of the formbook than me reckon he is the best miler since his old man Kingman 11 years ago — it's hard to argue on what he's done the last twice at the Curragh and Ascot. Most read in Horse Racing The galloping grey got the Johnny G show rolling, and what a difference a year makes. In 2024, Gosden was scrabbling around looking for a half decent horse, and all of a sudden he's got a stable full of them. In contrast, what a complete nightmare it's been for Godolphin's main man Charlie Appleby. His last winner at Royal Ascot was in 2022, when Naval Crown struck at 33-1, and he has now had 35 straight runners without a winner at the Royal meeting. He had lots of beaten fancies last year and this week it's been a similar tale of woe, with Notable Speech (4-1), Ruling Court (4-1), Cinderella's Dream (5-4f) and Shadow Of Light (6-4f) among those turned over at short odds. It certainly does not bode well for his two fancied runners Treanmor and Rebel's Romance today. It's three years in a row now that Appleby has got off to a fast start in the spring before spluttering to a halt in early summer. What on earth is happening? Are the horses peaking early and unable to back up? Appleby must be sick of the sight of all those top hats and tails by now. And it must hurt even more that Godolphin have had three winners this week, two trained by Gosden and one by Saeed bin Suroor. I bet Saeed is secretly over the moon — he has been starved of ammunition over the last decade having falling down the pecking order with Sheikh Mo, but he has shown repeatedly he can still get the job done on the big days. If it's the most important week of the year for trainers, it's probably more significant for the men and women in the weighing room. A couple of jocks who were in the wilderness coming here were Richard Kingscote and Kieran Shoemark, but both went home with winners under their belts. You could see the weight of the world melt off Shoemark's shoulders in particular after he guided 22-1 shot Never Let Go home in the Sandringham yesterday. Whatever you think about his ability in the saddle, the bloke has clearly suffered since losing the Gosden gig and you'd have to have a heart of stone to not wish him well going forwards. Mind you, one jockey who hardly did his reputation on these shores any good was the mercurial Frenchman Mickael Barzalona. Zarigana travelled like stink in the Coronation but he couldn't lift the hot favourite home, just a couple of weeks after losing another tight one at Epsom on popular punters' pick Calandagan. He was only appointed as the No1 jock to the Aga Khan at the start of the year but, after this latest dud, he'll surely be feeling the heat . . . and that makes two of us. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Irish Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Royal Ascot Saturday tips and full race card - list of runners on day 5
Godolphin and William Buick have both been among the winners at Royal Ascot this week, but trainer Charlie Appleby has yet to get one on the board. The Newmarket trainer will be hoping to put that right on the final day of the meeting and has two strong chances in the opening two races. Treanmor, a €2million purchase, won by four lengths on debut at Newmarket next month and looks set to go off favourite in the Chesham Stakes. Meanwhile, Rebel's Romance looks the one to beat in the Hardwicke Stakes as Appleby aims to provide Godolphin and Buick with more success at the Royal meeting. The sole Group 1 on the final day is the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes as Inisherin aims to follow up his victory in the Commonwealth Cup last year. Kevin Ryan's horses have been running well this week and Buick takes the ride. Here's a full list of Saturday's runners and riders, as well as a tip for each race: 2.30pm: 7f Chesham Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (2yo) 1 Brave Hunter Silvestre De Sousa2 Humidity James Doyle3 Tailgunner Joe (USA) Sean Levey4 Thesecretadversary (IRE) Seamie Heffernan5 Treanmor (IRE) William Buick6 Waterford Castle (IRE) Rossa Ryan7 Zooter D E Hogan8 Moments Of Joy (USA) Ryan Moore9 Venetian Lace (IRE) B Loughnane Newsboy's tip: Moments Of Joy 3.05pm: 1m4f (1m3f211y) Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (4yo+) 1 Al Aasy (IRE) Jim Crowley2 Al Riffa (FR) Dylan McMonagle3 Bellum Justum (IRE) P J McDonald4 Burdett Road S D Bowen5 Candleford (IRE) Tom Marquand6 Epic Poet (IRE) Daniel Tudhope7 Ghostwriter (IRE) David Egan8 Palladium (GER) Ryan Moore9 Rebel's Romance (IRE) William Buick10 Space Legend (IRE) James Doyle11 Sunway (FR) Oisin Murphy12 Tabletalk (IRE) Rossa Ryan Newsboy's tip: Al Aasy 3.40pm: 6f Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (4yo+) 1 Annaf (IRE) Rossa Ryan2 Elite Status Clifford Lee3 Grand Grey (IRE) Jamie Spencer4 Iberian (IRE) B Loughnane5 Inisherin William Buick6 James's Delight (IRE) Colin Keane7 Jasour Jim Crowley8 Lazzat (FR) James Doyle9 Run To Freedom Trevor Whelan10 Sajir (IRE) Oisin Murphy11 Satono Reve (JPN) J Moreira12 Storm Boy (AUS) Ryan Moore13 Topgear (FR) Stephane Pasquier14 Flora Of Bermuda (IRE) P J McDonald15 Great Generation (IRE) Marco Ghiani16 Nighteyes (IRE) Daniel Tudhope Newsboy's tip: Inisherin 4.20pm: 7f Jersey Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3yo) 1 Benevento (IRE) Rossa Ryan2 Brian (IRE) B Loughnane3 Caburn (IRE) D E Hogan4 Comanche Brave (IRE) Ryan Moore5 Dhitjari A Starke6 Marvelman (IRE) Oisin Murphy7 Noble Champion (IRE) Kieran Shoemark8 One Smack Mac (IRE) Colin Keane9 Pellitory Silvestre De Sousa10 Remmooz Callum Rodriguez11 Saracen (FR) Dylan McMonagle12 Seagulls Eleven (IRE) Harry Davies13 Spy Chief Robert Havlin14 Yah Mo Be There Jamie Spencer15 California Dreamer David Egan Newsboy's tip: Saracen 5.00pm: 6f Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-110) 1 Apollo One Daniel Tudhope2 Valiant Force (USA) David Egan3 Zoum Zoum Rossa Ryan4 City House (IRE) Callum Shepherd5 Jarraaf B Loughnane6 Korker (IRE) Jack Nicholls (7)7 Purosangue Oisin Murphy8 Symbol Of Honour Non Runner9 Shartash (IRE) James Doyle10 Ten Pounds (IRE) Trevor Whelan11 Get It Seamie Heffernan12 Game Run (FR) M Grandin13 Twilight Calls Jamie Spencer14 Desert Cop Jim Crowley15 Orazio (IRE) Saffie Osborne16 Cover Up (IRE) Silvestre De Sousa17 Vadream Kieran Shoemark18 Aramram (IRE) Ryan Moore19 We Never Stop (IRE) Shane Gray20 Roman Dragon David Probert21 More Thunder (IRE) Tom Marquand22 Golden Mind (IRE) Warren Fentiman (5)23 Completely Random Callum Rodriguez24 Woodhay Wonder Sean Levey25 Noble Truth (FR) Luke Morris26 Germanic (IRE) R Sexton27 Saint Lawrence (IRE) Colin Keane28 Jumby (IRE) Charles Bishop29 Holkham Bay Brandon Wilkie (3) Newsboy's tip: Orazio 5.35pm: 1m2f (1m1f212y) Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) 1 Rock Of Cashel (IRE) Sean Levey2 Sallaal (IRE) Ray Dawson3 Tycoon David Egan4 Best Secret (FR) James Doyle5 Seraph Gabriel (IRE) Rossa Ryan6 El Burhan (IRE) Jim Crowley7 Basalt (IRE) Luke Morris8 Aurel (GER) Richard Kingscote9 Dakota Blue (FR) Ben Coen10 Quai De Bethune (FR) Oisin Murphy11 Ernst Blofeld (IRE) William Buick12 Roosevelt Ryan Moore13 Fantazy Man (IRE) Seamie Heffernan14 War Socks Silvestre De Sousa15 The King's Falcon Non Runner16 Glen To Glen (IRE) Dylan McMonagle17 Brindavan (IRE) Colin Keane Newsboy's tip: El Burhan 6.10pm: 2m5½f (2m5f143y) Queen Alexandra Stakes (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 1 Sober (FR) Ryan Moore2 King Of The Road (IRE) David Probert3 Samui Colin Keane4 Scottish Anthem K S McHugh5 Tashkhan (IRE) Callum Shepherd6 Trooper Bisdee (IRE) Luke Morris7 Youthful King Jack Dace8 Dallas Star (FR) David Egan9 Paradoxical (IRE) Warren Fentiman10 Toby Tops George Wood11 Wild Waves (IRE) Oisin Murphy Newsboy's tip: Samui
