Ombudsman won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes for a second straight year after producing an “electric” display in the feature race of day two at Royal Ascot.
Devil’s Advocate and Mississippi River set the pace in the 10-furlong Group One race, before William Buick urged Ombudsman into contention halfway up the straight.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz and Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk got into the mix as the pacemakers faltered.
The 11-10 favourite, who is trained jointly by John Gosden and his son Thady, then powered clear to win by four lengths from Minnie Hauk, a multiple Group One-winning filly.
The five-year-old Godolphin colt became the first horse to go back-to-back in this event since the Gosden-trained Muhtarram in 1995. It was also a 40th Ascot winner for Buick and a 72nd for Gosden.
“Ascot is enormous now,” said John Gosden. “It is so big in our season and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes is one of the jewels. To win these races is what it’s all about and it’s great to beat the best on this stage.”
He added: “A furlong and a half to go, I thought ‘they are going to have to get to [the pacemakers]’ but this horse has got a turn of foot, great acceleration for a mile-and-a-quarter horse and he just showed that class.
“It was quite something to come away from the field like that. I thought it was one of the great performances of his career.”
The Juddmonte International at York in August is a “major target” for Ombudsman, whose performance was described as “very rare” by jockey Buick.
“What he did there was mind blowing,” he added. “His turn of foot is that of a miler but he stays 10 furlongs, it was an amazing performance.
“He’s a closer. I’ve ridden some amazing horses but this horse has an electric turn of foot and he must be right up there.”
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