Ombudsman wins International; Gewan also earns BC berth
Post-time favorite Ombudsman finally reeled in co-owned pacesetter Birr Castle inside the final furlong and avenged a July loss to Delacroix by winning Wednesday’s Group 1, US$1.6 million International Stakes at York, England.
The 1 1/4-mile turf race was part of the Breeders’ Cup challenge series. It came with an automatic invitation to the $7 million Classic on the dirt Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Ombudsman already earned a berth in the $5 million Turf by winning the Prince of Wales’s (G1) in June at Royal Ascot.
“The obvious race is the Irish Champion (G1 on Sept. 13) at Leopardstown,” John Gosden, who trains Ombudsman with his son Thady, said on Racing TV. “There’s the Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot. He is (nominated) in the Arc (G1). We’d have to think long and hard. I wouldn’t want to run him in deep ground. I think he’s got that wonderful turn of foot and acceleration, which is hard to show in the heavy ground.”
Asked about the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Gosden said, “He’s got tactical speed. It’s a mile-and-a-half there. It could be a possibility, yes. And the fast ground and the turning track, he’d get a mile-and-a-half around Del Mar, no problem.”
Birr Castle (51-1) raced away to a 20-length lead playing the rabbit’s role for Godolphin. Ridden by William Buick, Ombudsman (3-2) traveled with the other five horses just behind Japan-bred Danon Decile (5-2), who was a very distant second going around the sweeping left turn.
The trailing pack did not really eat into Birr Castle’s lead until the middle of the 2 1/2-furlong homestretch. As Birr Castle tired and bore outward, Ombudsman charged down the middle of the stretch and then veered inward to take the lead en route to a 3 1/2-length win.
Delacroix (2-1), who beat Ombudsman last month in the Eclipse (G1) at Sandown, closed from fifth under Ryan Moore by splitting horses to finish second. Birr Castle held on for third. The filly See The Fire (7-1) came in fourth, Danon Decile fifth and Daryz (11-1) last in the field of six horses, ages 3 and up.
The winning time was 2:07.90 without a run-up for the 2,063 meters, 56 yards more than 1 1/4 miles. The course was rated good to firm.
In World Pool each-way payouts, Ombudsman returned $5.00 and $2.70 and Delacroix $3.40. There was no place dividend for third because of the short field.
Ombudsman, a Great Britain-bred 4-year-old colt by Night Of Thunder, went 4-for-4 as a 2-year-old and began 2025 with a second-place result in the Brigadier Gerard (G3) at Sandown.
Gewan wins Acomb, berth in Juvenile Turf
A debut winner for trainer Andrew Balding last month, gray colt Gewan (5-1) held off a late charge by O’Brien-trained Italy (2-1) to win the US$206,500 Acomb (G3) for 2-year-olds going about seven furlongs. The victory came with an automatic invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.
Traveling most of the way in second in the one-turn race, Gewan carried jockey P. J. McDonald to the lead inside the last quarter-mile. Italy, who had taken a wide, trailing trip under Moore, made a late challenge only to come up 1 1/2 lengths short at the end.
Post-time favorite Distant Storm (4-5), with Buick riding for trainer Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, flashed to the front in the stretch but gave way late to finish third. Rochfortbridge (18-1), May Angel (14-1), Sovereign Ocean (48-1) and Goodwood Galaxy (10-1) finished fourth through last in that order. Oceans Four was scratched.
The winning time without a run-up was 1:25.57 going 1,408 meters, nine yards short of seven furlongs.
Gewan paid $12.80 and $3.10, Italy $2.60 and Distant Storm $2.20 in each-way returns.
A son of Night Of Thunder who is owned by Qatar-based Al Rabban Racing, Gewan was bred in Ireland and is out of Lethal Force mare Grey Mystere.