Big-hitting Ombudsman lands knockout blow

John Gosden likes a boxing analogy and in one of Royal Ascot’s heavyweight blockbusters it was Ombudsman who landed the knockout blow with a deadly display of speed to shine once again on the biggest occasion.

With Francis-Henri Graffard’s Arc-winning Daryz and Aidan O’Brien’s champion filly Minnie Hauk in opposition, Gosden was facing the only two handlers to dent Ombudsman’s impeccable body of form at the highest level last term in a championship race to savour.

However, if this was to be Ombudsman’s rumble in the jungle, then there was no rope-a-dope as William Buick angled out his mount to deliver a blistering finishing burst, one that meant the judges would not be required on this occasion.

It was a 72nd Royal Ascot winner for Gosden, but one that showed his great rival from Ireland and the emerging player on the world scene from France that Clarehaven are still up for the fight on the grandest stage, the magnitude of which was not lost on the 75-year-old.

Gosden, trains with his son, Thady, said: “Ascot is enormous now it is so big in our season and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes is one of the jewels. To win these races is what it’s all about and it’s great to beat the best on this stage.

“Aidan and I are big rivals but we get on and we tease each other a lot. There’s no harm in that and it’s a little bit of banter.

“Ombudsman though is a wonderful horse and only Calandagan and Delacroix beat him last year and he’s shown his class again today. He quickened well and showed some dominance there.

“You had Arc winners and champion racemares in there and it was a champions performance. I was really taken by his acceleration. It’s thrilling to win this again for Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin, it’s what dreams are made of.”

In becoming the fourth dual winner of the race and first since Gosden’s own Muhtarram to go back-to-back in 1994 and 1995, Ombudsman gave the Clarehaven operation a seventh win in the second day of the Royal meeting’s marquee event.

Gosden continued: “You get old and wise and like an old boxer in a tune-up fight, Sandown wasn’t the big day so he just did enough to win on points there. You take nothing from the second (Owen Burrows’ Gethin) that day, but he was receiving 7lb and our horse was going there 85 per cent to put him right for this.

“The Brigadier Gerard has always been the perfect trial for this race at Royal Ascot.

“Aidan’s filly ran great today and Almaqam may have been below par because he would be in the mix normally but we were thrilled with that.

“It was a great performance and maybe we wait for the Juddmonte International at York now.”

With one of the week’s major prizes secured, Gosden’s attentions now turn to another of last year’s heroes and Trawlerman defending his Gold Cup in another barnburner on Thursday afternoon.

“The old man will be here and we hope the clouds stay up there,” said Gosden in reference to the protective eyewear his star stayer will wear prior to the race.

O’Brien will be in the opposing corner once again, but Gosden will already be relishing the first bell, for another dust up in the most regal setting of Ascot. Seconds out, round two.