Ombudsman shows star quality with sizzling Prince of Wales's display
Ombudsman displayed a devastating change of gear to run out a brilliant winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.
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.
WOW! OMBUDSMAN THROUGH TRAFFIC TO WIN THE PRINCE OF WALES'S STAKES! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/xRL1TAXgbz
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2025
Gosden senior, celebrating his 70th Royal Ascot winner, 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.
'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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington forced to step away due to health concerns
Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington has been forced to step away from the team due to health concerns. General manager Perry Minasian revealed to reporters on Friday that the 73-year-old will take an indefinite leave of absence. He will still be around the team but won't be present in the dugout at games as he deals with an undisclosed health problem. Ray Montgomery, the team's bench coach, will take charge in the meantime. His first game will be Friday night against the Houston Astros. More to follow.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Kobe Bryant's nephew Jett Washington commits to Oregon football team
Jett Washington, the nephew of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has announced that he will play college football for Oregon. The 17-year-old is considered one of the top NFL prospects in the class of 2026. He also visited Alabama and USC, while schools including Georgia, Michigan and Texas made offers for Washington. But the five-star safety has decided to join the Ducks as he bids to emulate his uncle and reach the very top of sports. Bryant enjoyed a Hall-of-Fame career with the Lakers, playing 20 seasons in Los Angeles and cementing himself as one of basketball's biggest stars. But back in January 2020, at the age of just 41, Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash. Washington is the son of Bryant's sister, Sharia, and he is considered the No 2 safety in the class of 2026. View this post on Instagram A post shared by On3 Recruits (@on3recruits) The 17-year-old has previously said it is 'special' to be related to Bryant and that he spends 'every day' trying to evoke the NBA legend's 'Mamba Mentality'. Washington joins the Ducks as the No 18 overall recruit. 'I've built a great relationship with them,' Washington told 247Sports. 'I went up there for the Ohio State game last season, and it's a place I could see myself at. 'My relationship with the coaches has been big. When you're there, you feel the energy. 'It's everywhere inside that building and just being around coach Dan Lanning, he's a defensive head coach and always involved in the defense, so you know you're going to get development.' Washington, who stands at 6ft 5ins, also played high school basketball for Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Reports: Dodgers set to acquire LHP Zach Penrod from Red Sox
June 20 - The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to acquire left-hander Zach Penrod from the Boston Red Sox, multiple outlets reported Friday. Penrod, 28, has just seven games of major league experience, all with the Red Sox in relief last season. He had a 2.25 ERA in four innings. After Boston traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants last week, while acquiring right-hander Jordan Hicks and left-hander Kyle Harrison, Penrod was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. In six outings (two starts) with Triple-A Worcester this season, Penrod was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. He also had a scoreless inning with the Red Sox's Florida Complex League club. Penrod, who was not drafted, signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers in 2018 out of Northwestern Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho, and had two seasons in the independent Pioneer League before signing with the Red Sox in 2023. --Field Level Media
