We are only two days into Royal Ascot and Night of Thunder got his third Group I winner of this carnival so far when his five year-old son Ombudsman blew away a stellar field to win the Group I Prince of Wales’s Stakes (1m2f).
Trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by William Buick, Ombudsman won this race last year and in five subsequent runs had never finished worse than second.
Winning both of his lead up races this year including victory in the Group I Dubai World Cup Turf in March, the Godolphin flagbearer went to the post as favourite ahead of last year’s Arc winner Daryz and triple Oaks winner Minnie Hauk, who was second in the Arc.
With pacemakers engaged, the race was run at a genuine tempo and the big three all swooped into contention with a furlong to run, but Ombudsman delivered an unmatched change of gear.
He thundered clear to win by four lengths over Minnie Hauk with Daryz in third.
“Aidan [O'Brien] had a pacemaker and we thought we'd have ours doing what we wanted to do as well so they wound up meeting coming into the bend and off the bend, so they were obviously agreed on the pace. With a furlong to go I thought they're going to have to go a bit but Ombudsman has got a phenomenal turn of foot, great acceleration for a mile and a quarter horse and he just showed that class,” said John Gosden.
“Quite something to come away from a field like that. The filly ran great, the Arc winner ran great, probably the horse who won in Ireland might not have run his race today because he'd usually be in the shake-up but overall I thought it was one of the great performances of his career.
“We will watch him and see where we go. The Juddmonte International will be a major target of course, he likes York. We're very lucky to have some wonderful owners to send us those [top class] horses because let me tell you, you can't train empty boxes.
“He's a lovely horse, he'll make a good stallion. He's got all the right things, he's got a good mind as well as a fabulous, fabulous body and strength.”
William Buick went in expecting to win, but even he was surprised by the manner in which Ombudsman accomplished the task.
Ombudsman was purchased for 340,000 guineas from the Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale for Godolphin by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock.
His overall record stands at nine wins and three seconds from 12 starts and is the best of three winners from winning Dansili mare Syndicate, a full sister to Group III winner Runnymede and stakes-winner Stipulation.
Ombudsman is the third Group I winner at this meeting for Night of Thunder joining Bow Echo and Ten Bob Tony. The champion son of Dubawi stands at Darley at a fee of €200,000.
