Ombudsman, the five-year-old Godolphin colt, made history at Royal Ascot on Wednesday by clinching the Prince of Wales's Stakes for the second year in succession. The powerful display in the Group One race on day two was described as 'electric' by jockey William Buick, as the 11-10 favourite dominated the field, crossing the finish line four lengths clear of multiple Group One-winning filly Minnie Hauk.
Trained jointly by John Gosden and his son Thady, Ombudsman's victory makes him the first horse since Muhtarram, also trained by Gosden in 1995, to achieve back-to-back wins in this prestigious event. The race saw Devil's Advocate and Mississippi River initially setting a strong pace over the 10-furlong distance, before Buick expertly guided Ombudsman into contention midway through the straight. Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz also entered the fray as the early leaders began to fade.
John Gosden expressed the significance of the win, stating, "Ascot is enormous now. 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 further praised Ombudsman's acceleration, noting, "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." This victory marked Buick's 40th Ascot winner and Gosden's 72nd.
Jockey William Buick lauded Ombudsman's performance, calling it "mind blowing" and "very rare." He highlighted the horse's unique combination of speed and stamina, explaining, "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."
Beyond Ombudsman's triumph, day two of Royal Ascot also saw other notable results. Aidan O'Brien's Victorious maintained her unbeaten record by winning the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes, giving O'Brien his 99th Ascot winner. Limestone, ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, narrowly won the Queen's Vase, while Blue Bolt secured Andrew Balding's first Duke of Cambridge Stakes success. James Owen and Harry Davies celebrated their maiden Ascot wins with Rogue Diplomat in the Royal Hunt Cup, and William Haggas claimed his 18th Royal Ascot winner with Alobayyah in the Kensington Palace Handicap. The final race of the day, the Windsor Castle Stakes, went to Joseph O'Brien's 33-1 shot King Of Cloughan.