G1 York International Delivers Nail Biting Spectacle

Tara Madgwick - Thursday August 21

Last year the Group I Juddmonte International (1m2 ½ f) at York produced a virtuoso performance from City of Troy (USA), who will be paraded at Coolmore Australia this Sunday and the overnight renewal of the race produced a Pride of Jenni like spectacle before the favourite Ombudsman prevailed to win.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by William Buick, Night of Thunder stallion Ombudsman won the Group I Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and was looking to bounce back from a second to Delacroix in the Group I Coral Eclipse Stakes last month.

With a pacemaker engaged in Birr Castle to set the tempo it was expected Ombudsman would have conditions to suit, but the plan nearly went pear shaped when Robert ‘Rab’ Havlin did a Pride of Jenny on Birr Castle and opened up a huge lead.

William Buick got to work on Ombudsman and he eventually hunted down the leader to forge clear and win by three and a half lengths over Delacroix with Birr Castle hanging on for third.

Buick was relieved to get Ombiudsman home for his second G1 win and his sixth victory in total from eight starts.

"We had a plan and to be honest Rab got the fractions spot on. Birr Castle is a proper stakes horse, if you give a horse a lead like that around a flat track like York it's always a danger,” he said.

"I was thinking, 'This is a bit dangerous'. I had to cut the deficit myself and then he went again, which is a hard thing to do. He had to chase the race himself and to have that finish still at the very end was amazing. He's got stacks of quality."

John Gosden has more G1 goals in the pipeline for Ombudsman.

Advertisement

"The Eclipse(last start)  was a muddling affair but full marks to Delacroix, he got up on the line and won," Gosden said.

"Ombudsman is a very good horse. He's proved he's a class horse – he blew them away in the end. The obvious races are the Irish Champion and the English Champion. He's in the Arc as well but he'd need one of those very occasional fast-ground Arcs. We'll see.”

Ombudsman was a 340,000 guinea purchase from Tattersalls October Yearling Sale book 2

Ombudsman was purchased for 340,000 guineas from the Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale for Godolphin by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock.

He is the best of two winners from winning Dansili mare Syndicate, a full sister to Group III winner Runnymede and stakes-winner Stipulation.

Ombudsman was one of two stakes-winners on the card at York for Dubawi’s champion son Night of Thunder, who stands at Darley at a fee of €150,000.

He shuttled to Australia for one season in 2016 and produced seven stakes-winners from that lone crop of foals headed by G1 Queensland Derby winner Kukeracha.

The other stakes-winner at York for Night of Thunder was two year-old colt Gewan, who beat race favourite Italy (Wootton Bassett) to win the Group III Acomb Stakes (7f).

Advertisment
More Reading...
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
Swettenham Stud Delighted with Lofty Strike Foals
Swettenham Stud are delighted with the growing buzz of excitement surrounding the first foals for young gun sire Lofty Strike.
420k NZ Ready to Run Purchase Looks the Goods
Progressive three-year-old Sulek notched his first victory when landing the MRC Foundation Pin & Win Plate (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday for trainer Dominic Sutton.
Kiwi Raider Pier Upbeat Ahead of Epsom
Co-trainer and part-owner Darryn Weatherley is taking a glass half full approach ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after he came up with an awkward wide gate for Pier.
Autumn Glow Epsom Challenge - Just How Big Is This Task?
With the unbeaten Autumn Glow set to run as the first odds-on favourite this century in the Epsom Handicap on Saturday we thought we’d run some data to see how big this mountain is that she’s attempting to climb, and turns out, it’s pretty big.
Bryce Bevan Appointed Head of Digital at Magic Millions
Magic Millions' commitment to conduct online thoroughbred auctions has received a huge boost with today's announcement that Bryce Bevan has been appointed as Head of Digital.
Hellbent Winner Impresses at Sha Tin
Astute trainer Mark Newnham paid $425,000 at the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale to secure a promising two year-old by Hellbent and Invincible Ibis delivered on that promise when scoring a last to first win at Sha Tin on Wednesday.
Promising Victory For Too Darn Hot’s Ripley
Racing in the same Qatar Bloodstock coloured silks worn to victory on Friday night by West of Swindon (Wootton Bassett) in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes, 3yo Too Darn Hot colt Ripley highlighted his future potential with a two-length maiden victory at Rosehill on Wednesday.
Talented So You Think Mare Goes Two for Two
So You Think is setting the pace for winners this season as we head into October and one of those promising winners is talented four year-old mare Enamorada, who made it two wins in as many starts when saluting at Sandown on Wednesday as favourite.
King’s Legacy Filly Salutes for Yulong
The first stakes-winner for her sire King’s Legacy when winning the Group III SAJC David Coles AM Stakes (1200m) last season, Steel Trap was subsequently purchased by Yulong privately and she posted her first win in their colours at Sandown on Wednesday.