‘Top-Class Performance’ By Ombudsman Earns Him 130 Timeform Rating

[Wandering Eyes]

Godolphin's G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes hero Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) has been awarded a mark of 130 by Timeform for his efforts at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

He is now the highest-rated older horse in Europe, with Jan Brueghel (Galileo) and Goliath (Adlerflug) both at a mark of 128. Almaqam (Lope De Vega) is rated 126, as is White Birch (Ulysses). The Aga Khan's Calandagan (Gleneagles) is rated 127.

Timeform handicapper Rory King said, “Ombudsman might have lost his unbeaten record in the Brigadier Gerard but that still represented an improved effort in form terms [gave the winner 3 lb], and he took another big step forward to announce himself at the top level in the best possible way in the Prince of Wales's Stakes.

“Having had to weave around looking for room for at least a furlong in the straight, he produced a superb turn of foot to run down and then shoot past Anmaat inside the final furlong, and the form looks well up to scratch for the race considering the runner-up – who'd been an impressive winner of the Champion Stakes at Ascot in the autumn – was readily on top of the rest.”

The only horse with a higher rating than Ombudsman is the John and Thady Gosden-trained 3-year-old Field Of Gold, a winner of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas. The Juddmonte grey is rated 132p after his 3 1/2-length win in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday.

King added, “By our reckoning it was a top-class performance from Ombudsman when factoring in how he was value for extra on top of the bare result, and it came hot on the heels of his stablemate Field of Gold producing something similar the day before.

“Although the Gosdens might not agree, a clash between the two horses later in the summer would be something to really look forward to, especially with Almaqam, White Birch (126) and Economics (Night Of Thunder) (124) to throw into the mix as well.”

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