Europe
Ombudsman delivers for Godolphin
For a long while in Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International Stakes, it looked as if we would have another pacemaker summer shock, but ultimately the class of Godolphin's Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) told once again and common sense prevailed on the Knavesmire. Blessed with the best acceleration of the sextet, the Gosdens' 7-4 favourite was the first to claw back the operation's rabbit Birr Castle (Cloth Of Stars), who was proverbially in another district under Rab Havlin turning for home, and register a 3 1/2-length defeat of his Eclipse conqueror Delacroix (Dubawi). He was the only other runner able to get by the Andre Fabre-trained pacemaker, with half a length the margin between them at the line.
“The idea was to run the pacemaker and the way he was going to be used would be determined by the way the race went,” William Buick said. “To be honest, Rab (Havlin) got the fractions spot-on on a proper Stakes horse, so I was thinking 'this is dangerous' and I had to cut the deficit myself. He then went again, which is a hard thing to do, but he has a great mind and is amazing. He's a beautiful horse to ride and we couldn't believe he got beaten in the Eclipse, but today he put it right.”
Ombudsman lacked the strong pace to run at in the Eclipse that he had enjoyed at Royal Ascot and while he had that here it was of little use for the most part as the race split in two. While Havlin was doing what he had been asked to the letter on the multiple Group-placed 109-rated Birr Castle out in isolation, the main protagonists were following Danon Decile (Epiphaneia) who was running slower than par as Keita Tosaki sought to anchor the free-running Japanese raider.
“Andre (Fabre) had said, if I lend you the horse make sure its like Goodwood! I thought it was looking dangerous two out, but all's well that end's well and our horse went into overdrive,” John Gosden said.
“He has a phenomenal turn of foot and this settles the Eclipse story, if you like, as that was a muddling affair and we'll leave it at that. Full marks to Delacroix, but in an evenly-run race we were the superior horse today.”
“He (Ombudsman) has a phenomenal turn of foot and this settles the Eclipse story, if you like, as that was a muddling affair and we'll leave it at that.” - John Gosden
Ombudsman actually qualifies for an automatic berth in the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, but if he heads to Del Mar it is going to be in the Turf according to his trainer.
“The obvious races are the Irish Champion and the Champion Stakes at Ascot–he is in the Arc, but we'd have to think long and hard about that as he has that wonderful turn of foot which is hard to show in heavy ground. He's got tactical speed and the mile-and-a-half at Del Mar could be a possibility. He would get a mile and a half there, no problem.
“William thinks he'll stay a mile and a half, but I think why change things? It will be Sheikh Mohammed's decision if he stays in training, but he is a sportsman.”
Delecroix benefitted from a tactical Eclipse, but this time the fortunes played against him and Aidan O'Brien was quick to write it off. “It was a mess really,” he said. “When he sat in, they started going slower and slower and he was in a pocket and the rest was history. It happens every day of the week and it'll happen again. We think he likes high-tempo races and hopefully this won't happen at Leopardstown. He doesn't mind making the running, so he'd be happy to do that.”
Pedigree Notes: Ombudsman is the second foal out of Dansili's Syndicate, a 25,000gns Juddmonte cast-off at the 2017 Tattersalls December Sale who is a full-sister to the G3 Premio Carlo Vittadini winner Runnymede and the dual Listed winner and G2 Celebration Mile runner-up Stipulate. Her second dam is the listed scorer Insinuate (Mr. Prospector), who produced the Group Three winners Convey (Dansili) and Stronghold by Dansili's sire Danehill.
The fourth dam is All At Sea (Riverman), who captured the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and was placed in the Oaks and in this. From the family of the four-times Group One-winning Twice Over (Observatory), who also took this race, Syndicate's 2-year-old full-sister to the winner named Synchronicity was a 900,000gns purchase by SackvilleDonald at Tattersalls October Book 1. Her yearling filly is by Ten Sovereigns.
New Bay'sPride Of Arras bounces back to form
Bouncing back from two disappointing Derby displays, the Aykroyds' Pride Of Arras (New Bay) showed the benefit of a gelding operation and a return to a track on which he excels to land Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. Sent off at 12-1 despite his impressive Dante success here in May, the Ralph Beckett-trained homebred who had failed to fire at Epsom and The Curragh stayed on powerfully to take control approaching the furlong pole and beat the similarly-penalised Queen's Vase winner Carmers (Wootton Bassett).
Where Lambourn (Australia) had enjoyed the laurels as he floundered in both the Derby and Irish Derby, the Ballydoyle runner ran flat here in fifth. He may still be bound for Doncaster's St Leger, but Pride Of Arras is excluded from that scenario now and may have overseas targets to occupy the minds of connections who also boast another star middle-distance gelding in Amiloc (Postponed).
“I actually brought him here slightly underdone, having gelded him at the beginning of July and I've only really done maintenance stuff with him,” Beckett explained.
“That was because it seemed to suit him the last time we brought him here and also because I wanted him to run well more than anything else.
“Really we came here with no expectation, but I think the track and the flat nature of York suits him really well,” he added.
“I wasn't at all happy with the way he moved in the first half-mile at the Curragh, which isn't exactly undulating anyway. He just wasn't enjoying himself that day any more than he was at Epsom. After that it was a very easy decision to geld him. I would be tempted to think about California and Hong Kong for him. I think the nature of those races will suit him really well.”
Aidan O'Brien said of Lambourn, “He went grand, they went steady and he's lazy. I don't think the Leger trip will be a problem, we know he stays a mile and a half well. Ryan (Moore) said he felt like he got a little but tired, but we'll see how he is.”
Paddy Twomey said of Carmers, “He maybe didn't get the run of the race, but I think it was a very good trial for the Leger. I think he's learned more today than he had in any race he won. It's a big run and back up to the mile and six will suit him.”
Pedigree Notes: Pride Of Arras hails, like Ombudsman, from a Juddmonte family which ironically boasts Brian Boru (Sadler's Wells), a winner of the St Leger that he is now ineligible to take part in. The G3 Park Express Stakes-winning second dam Kitty O'Shea (Sadler's Wells) was responsible for the Moyglare Stud Stakes third Kissable (Danehill Dancer), who in turn is the dam of Gleneagles's G1 Prix de Royallieu and Ribblesdale winner Loving Dream, Sea The Stars' G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes winner and Saratoga Derby and Belmont Derby-placed Legend Of Time and the American Oaks-placed Amandine (Shamardal).
The third dam is the G3 Park Hill Stakes winner Eva Luna (Alleged), producer of the aforementioned Brian Boru, the Hardwicke scorer Sea Moon (Beat Hollow) who also captured this prize, and the G2 Prix de Royallieu scorer Moon Search (Rainbow Quest). Another of Eva Luna's daughters of Sadler's Wells, Kushnarenkovo who was runner-up in the G3 Noblesse Stakes, is the second dam of the multiple Australian Group One-winning champion stayer Best Solution and the Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero El Bodegon, with both being by the speed influence Kodiac. Also connected to the Derby hero Workforce (King's Best) and the Melbourne Cup runner-up Emissary (Kingman), Parnell's Dream's 2-year-old filly K Sarra is a full-sister to the winner.
Gewan claims the G3 Acomb Stakes
Emulating Andrew Balding's former star Chaldean (Frankel) on Wednesday, Al Rabban Racing's Gewan (Night Of Thunder) came from the same Newbury novice to capture York's G3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, an automatic qualifier for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Always prominent under P J McDonald throughout the seven-furlong contest, the 11-2 shot saw off Ballydoyle's Italy (Wootton Bassett) to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with 3 1/4 lengths back to the disappointing 11-20 favourite Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) in third.
“He was very well bought by Billy Jackson-Stops, as he wasn't expensive for a Night Of Thunder,” Balding said of the €80,000 Arqana May Breeze-Up graduate.
“He's done everything right since he came in and we've always liked him. PJ was quite taken by his attitude and said he had a little bit more left. I think he'll stay a mile next year, but he'll stay at seven this.”
Aidan O'Brien was far from downcast after the defeat of the yard's TDN Rising Star Italy. “He ran very well–he's a lovely big horse and he jumped a bit slow and was a length or two further back than Ryan wanted to and he had to expose him early,” he said. “He will progress. The Futurity and National were the plan.”
Pedigree Notes: Gewan's Listed-placed dam Grey Mystere (Lethal Force) is a granddaughter of the well-connected Cracovie (Caerleon), dam of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine and Stakes producer Coquerelle (Zamindar) and the G3 Prix du Lys winner Spring Master (Mastercraftsman). The fourth dam is the celebrated Luth De Saron, producer of Trampoli (Trempolino), Roi Normand (Exclusive Native) and Luth Dancer (Blushing Groom). Grey Mystere's yearling son of Ghaiyyath sadly died, while she has a colt foal by Native Trail.
