Ascot Next for Ombudsman with Irish Champion Bid Off the Cards

[Wandering Eyes]

Autumn plans for leading older horse Ombudsman are beginning to take shape, with a third clash with Delacroix (Dubawi) in the G1 Irish Champions Stakes all ruled out in favour of an appearance on QIPCO British Champions Day.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Night Of Thunder has been one of the star performers of the summer, having registered Group 1 victories in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Juddmonte International either side of a narrow defeat to Delacroix in the Coral-Eclipse.

After gaining revenge on that rival on the Knavesmire, the stage was set for a deciding contest between the pair at Leopardstown, but connections of Ombudsman confirmed on Wednesday that they are looking elsewhere. The G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, October 18 is now the primary target, with the GI Breeders' Cup Turf and G1 Japan Cup also set to enter calculations later in the year.

“I'm not sure if we will be able to get all three of those races in, but those races are certainly what John has in mind,” said Godolphin's managing director, Hugh Anderson.

“It's a classic example of where a trainer will need to watch the weather, watch his horse and work out the best options. But what I will say about Ombudsman is the way he has been trained over his career is very much to John and Thady's credit, with the watchword being patience and that has delivered fantastic results.

“He didn't race at two and then was very lightly raced at three and he's hit these huge highs at four. So, whatever John thinks is best for him is going to prove to be good for Godolphin.”

He added, “There is no man better able at setting out a challenging campaign for a fabulous racehorse than John and we look forward to hopefully some good results in the autumn.

“He's been a star this year and Ombudsman and [Kentucky Derby winner] Sovereignty are out of the real top drawer. Godolphin have had some good horses down the years but to have these two in the same year is really excellent.”

The post Ascot Next for Ombudsman with Irish Champion Bid Off the Cards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article