Delacroix and Ryan Moore (purple) winning The Coral – Eclipse Sandown May 7, 2025. (Dan Abraham-focusonracing.com)
Winners of Juddmonte International and Tattersalls Acomb Stakes to Receive Automatic Berths into Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 World Championships at Del Mar
Breeders’ Cup Release
YORK, Yorkshire, England – Godolphin’s Ombudsman (IRE) will face five quality rivals as he bids for more top-level glory in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York on Wednesday, with the field vying for an automatic berth in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
In addition to the 1 1/4-mile Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds and up, the opening day program of the Ebor Festival also includes the 7-furlong Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds, an automatic qualifier for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).
There will be two additional Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races at York this week; Thursday’s Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks (G1) provides a free berth in the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and Friday’s Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) awards an automatic starting position into the $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
Ombudsman, Delacroix Rematch in High-Class Juddmonte International
Ballydoyle’s four-time Group winning Delacroix (IRE) will once again take on Ombudsmanin the Juddmonte International. Delacroix, a 3-year-old son of Dubawi (IRE) trained by Aidan O’Brien, came out on top last time in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) at Sandown in July with a late surge under Ryan Moore. However, Godolphin is taking no chances and have supplemented dual Listed winner Birr Castle (FR) for £85,000 from the Andre Fabre stable as a pacemaker.
Ombudsman, by Night of Thunder (IRE), bolted up 2 lengths clear of the field in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, earning a free berth in the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. The race was run at a swift pace, and his trainers, John & Thady Gosden, are hoping to replicate that performance on Wednesday.
John Gosden said: “The Eclipse was a muddling race, and we didn’t want the prospect of a repeat, so Godolphin have kindly provided us with a nice horse to use as a pacemaker and he arrived on Thursday.”
John Gosden won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2008 with Raven’s Pass, but the race has famously eluded Aidan O’Brien, despite 18 attempts. O’Brien, however, holds the record as the winning-most trainer of the Juddmonte International with seven triumphs, and captured the race with City of Troy last year.
Meanwhile, Japanese contender Danon Decile (JPN), owned by Danox Co Ltd, who has accumulated over £5 million in prize money during his racing career, has been declared with jockey Keita Tosaki on board. The international raider was last seen at Meydan in April when defeating eventual King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) winner Calandagan (IRE) in the Sheema Classic (G1), despite his 14-1 odds. That victory earned him an automatic starting position into this year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Danon Decile is currently 4-1 in the betting behind Ombudsman, a 15-8 favorite.
Another international runner is the Aga Khan Studs SCEA’s unbeaten Daryz (FR), trained by Francis Henri-Graffard in France. The 3-year-old colt is relatively inexperienced, having not run at 2, but is 4-for-4 this season. He was last seen winning the June 29 Prix Eugene Adam (G2) at Saint-Cloud with ease and will be partnered by Mickael Barzalona on Wednesday.
Jeff Smith’s See The Fire (GB), the only filly in the field, has course and distance form at York – she put an astonishing 12 lengths between herself and the remainder of the field in the Middleton Fillies’ Stakes (G3) earlier this season, having won the Strensall Stakes (G3) at the same track last August. The 4-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars (IRE) finished third to Whirl (IRE) in the July 31 Nassau Stakes (G1) at Goodwood last time out and was 4 lengths behind Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June.
Distant Storm Headlines Acomb Stakes
Godolphin’s Distant Storm (GB),with jockey William Buick on board, heads the betting for the eight-horse field of the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes. Boasting an exceptional pedigree, the 2-year-old son of Night of Thunder (IRE), a 1.9 million euros breeze-up purchase, won at Newmarket July 11 on debut, his only start to date, for trainer Charlie Appleby.
Aidan O’Brien trainee Italy (GB) – owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael D. Tabor, Westerberg, and Peter Brant – finished second in the Superlative Stakes (G2) when a short-priced favorite at Newmarket in July, having won his first start at Leopardstown in May.
The David Menuisier-trained Goodwood Galaxy (GB) finished fourth in the Vintage Stakes (G2) at Goodwood last month behind July Stakes (G2)-winning Zavateri (IRE) despite being hampered by a wide draw and a slow start. The Kodi Bear (IRE) colt won on debut a month prior for the Goodwood Racehorse Owners Group (31).
The Al Rabban Racing-owned Gewan (GB) has won his lone race, a Novice Stakes at Newbury in July, and now steps up to the Group 3 level for trainer Andrew Balding and jockey PJ McDonald.
Yorkshire-based trainer Adrian Paul Keatley has declared Rochfortbridge (IRE), also a winner on debut for owners J Fyffe, S Fyffe & Partners, and Connor Beasley has been booked to partner the Tattersalls Book 2 graduate on Wednesday.
May Angel (GB), Oceans Four (GB), and Sovereign Ocean (IRE) complete the field.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) to start in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), run at 1 1/4 miles on dirt, and for the winner of the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (G3) to start in the $1million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), run at 1 mile. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 20 to receive the rewards.
