Ombudsman beats Calandagan in the Champion Stakes at Ascot — Sky Sports News

Ombudsman beat Calandagan in the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes at Ascot, taking revenge for last year's defeat to the French rival. The 5-4 race favourite finished first in the six-horse race, Sky Sports News reports.

Decisive acceleration

Before entering the home straight, all the runners were bunched closely together. When jockey William Buick asked Ombudsman to accelerate, he passed Bay City Roller, who eventually finished third, and then overtook Calandagan.

Last year, Calandagan, trained by French specialist Francis-Henri Graffard, won this race. This time, Ombudsman from John and Thady Gosden's team was the winner. As Sky Sports News notes, the result allowed Ombudsman to put his disappointing performance in the Juddmonte International behind him.

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Assessment of the performance and possible plans

John Gosden said Buick rode the horse confidently down the home straight and made good use of his ability to produce a sharp acceleration. According to the trainer, the ground at Ascot was somewhat slower than standard but suitable for Ombudsman, whereas in York the horse was unable to show his usual running.

Gosden also noted the even race pace set by Rab Havlin on Devil's Advocate and the change in tactics compared with last year, when Ombudsman was positioned too far behind the leaders. He called Ombudsman the best horse over a mile and a quarter that he had trained.

The next step for Ombudsman could be retirement and a move to stud duties, or participation in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Thady Gosden said that after his run at York, the horse rested and arrived at Ascot in good form. Buick believes Ombudsman would have no problems travelling to the United States, but left the final decision to the horse's team.