Ombudsman rules for Gosdens as trainers extend their dominance

The only British stable to wrest Royal Ascot's top trainer award away from Aidan O'Brien over the course of the past decade continued its strong run through this year's meeting here yesterday, as John and Thady Gosden's Ombudsman, in the Group One Prince of Wales's Stakes, followed up the success of Crimson Advocate, in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, for a 59-1 double on the day.

- Greg Wood

The feature race, though, was not an easy watch for Ombudsman's joint trainers or his backers at 7-1, at least until William Buick, his rider, finally managed to extract him and find running room with around a furlong to go, after being caught in a series of pockets. Buick was forced to switch twice in the straight, but when he did eventually take aim at the lead, Ombudsman's response was immediate and overpowering.

Ombudsman was around two lengths behind Anmaat, the Champion Stakes winner last season over the same course and distance, passing the furlong pole, alongside 100m later and two lengths ahead and going further clear at the line.