Ombudsman powers past Delacroix for win. (Francesca Altoft focusonracing.com)
Gewan Upsets in Acomb Stakes
Ombudsman Gave Trainer John Gosden a Fourth Success in the Group 1 and Received Automatic Berth to the 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar
Breeders’ Cup Release
YORK, Yorkshire, England – Favored at 7-4 odds, Godolphin’s Ombudsman (IRE) powered home Wednesday to win the £1.3 million Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse, securing automatic berth into the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
Earlier in the program, Gewan (GB) was an impressive winner of the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (G3) over 7 furlongs for 2-year-olds, landing an automatic berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).
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 Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Ombudsman stamped his authority on the middle-distance division with a commanding performance in the Juddmonte International, reversing his Coral-Eclipse (G1) form with Delacroix (IRE). The John and Thady Gosden-trained 4-year-old cruised past pacemaker Birr Castle (FR) to win by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths under William Buick.
The win marks a second Group 1 triumph for Ombudsman, who announced himself on the world stage with a dominant performance in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June, securing his place in the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). The Night of Thunder (IRE) colt delivered a record-extending fourth victory in the race for the Gosden stable, following previous wins with Roaring Lion, Mishriff (IRE), and Mostahdaf (IRE).
Birr Castle, ridden by Robert Havlin for trainer André (Fabre, turned heads early in the contest by setting a relentless gallop. Unchallenged by the field, the French raider built up a significant lead. But Buick remained cool aboard Ombudsman, inching his way closer through the straight before striking decisively in the final two furlongs.
Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael D. Tabor’s Delacroix closed late to claim second, narrowly getting the better of Birr Castle in the final strides.
Japanese challenger Danon Decile (JPN) was well-placed for much of the race but failed to replicate his Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) form and faded disappointingly under Keita Tosaki.
The winning time was 2.07.90 on a course rated good to firm.
“Look, he’s a lovely horse, a grand horse, he’s picked up well and won it well and won it emphatically,” the elder Gosden said of Ombudsman. “The Eclipse was a muddling affair, as we said, and we’ll leave it at that. It was a great win but I thought for a moment that André (Fabre) was going to be the lucky man.
“We never raced him at 2 and he came along gradually. He’s getting better and better, he’s trained well, he was undefeated last year and his only defeat this year was in the Eclipse, so he’s a proper horse.”
Gosden said Ombudsman will likely target the Sept. 13 Irish Champions Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown and the Oct. 18 Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse.
Gewan Upsets in Acomb Stakes
Earlier on the card, Al Rabban Racing’s Gewan maintained his unbeaten record by defeating the Aidan O’Brien-trained Italy (GB) by 1 length under P.J. McDonald in the Tattersall Acomb Stakes.
Sent off at odds of 11-2, the 2-year-old colt jumped prominently from the stalls, taking up a position behind the front-running May Angel (GB). The attractive gray then made steady progress before asserting in the final furlong with Italy close on his heels on the run to the line.
The win marks a major milestone in Gewan’s burgeoning career, as the Acomb Stakes is renowned for launching the careers of top-class milers – a path Gewan appears set to take next year.
Trainer Andrew Balding, who won the race with Chaldean (GB) in 2022, said: “He’s a son of Night of Thunder, which is a help, and he’s just been a lovely horse to train since he came into the yard – always looked like he was going to be a nice horse and we’re thrilled to keep his 100% record going.”
On being asked whether he was surprised at the result, Balding commented: “Not a huge surprise, I mean, we hoped he’d be very competitive but obviously when you’re taking on the biggest yards in Europe you don’t quite know what you’ve got, but we’re pretty pleased.
“I think we’d be thinking (towards the 2000 Guineas, G1) but it’s quite a long way away and there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and then, so certainly his 2-year-old career isn’t finished yet.”
Gewan was aided by Charlie Appleby’s Distant Storm (GB), who could only finish third after running very keen throughout, replicating stable mate Ruling Court’s performance in the race last year.
The winning time was 1.25.57 on a course rated good to firm.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for Ombudsman to start in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and for Gewan to start in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). 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 October 20 to receive the rewards.
