Ombudsman brave in defeat with G1 Champion Stakes second

Ombudsman ran a valiant race as he chased home Calandagan in a top-class edition of the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot, UK, on Saturday, 18 October.

Bidding to add to his victories in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and G1 Juddmonte International, Ombudsman found himself last of the 11 runners as William Buick was forced to drop the Night Of Thunder colt in from his wide draw.

Devil’s Advocate and Mount Kilimanjaro set a strong gallop, with Ombudsman switched widest of all as he tracked King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Calandagan at the top of the straight.

Ombudsman and Calandagan swept by the field and went clear approaching the final furlong, with Calandagan finding more in front to prevail by two and a quarter lengths. Ombudsman stuck to his task in second, finishing nearly two lengths clear of third home Almaqam.

William Buick said: “Ombudsman has had some season and ran a super race. We probably had a slightly awkward draw. We had a very good pace to run at and there was Delacroix, Calandagan and myself keeping tabs on each other.

“The pace was solid throughout and it was always going to be between myself and Calandagan. I took the race to him and, in the last furlong, he just pulled away. His stamina probably kicked in, being a King George winner, but I’m very proud of Ombudsman – he ran a super race and he's a high-class horse.

“He started pretty early, he won the Prince Of Wales's here in June and here we are in October, so he's had a long season.”