No disputing Ombudsman’s class in Dubai Turf

Ombudsman teed himself up for another exciting campaign with a resounding victory in the G1 Dubai Turf on Saturday’s Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan.

A dominant winner of the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and G1 Juddmonte International, the Night Of Thunder entire had no problem with the drop back to nine furlongs as he easily accounted for Quddwah.

All roads lead back to Royal Ascot for John & Thady Gosden’s stable star, who will attempt to become the first horse in 31 years to post back-to-back victories in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and the first since the race was upgraded to a G1 contest in 2000.

Pyromancer emerged with plenty of credit with a staying-on third behind fellow Japanese-trained contender Wonder Dean in the G2 UAE Derby on the same card. Winner of the Jpn G1 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun in December, the Pyro colt could return to the NAR circuit for some of the division’s top middle-distance races.

Godolphin-bred horses enjoyed an excellent evening, with Banishing winning the G2 Godolphin Mile, Fairy Glen capturing the G2 Dubai Gold Cup and Native Approach scoring in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint.

The G1 Dubai World Cup itself was won by US challenger Magnitude, who has improved significantly since finishing more than 20 lengths behind Sovereignty in the G1 Travers Stakes back in August.

East Avenue ran against Sovereignty and Magnitude last season, and the 2024 G1 Breeders’ Futurity winner made a promising return to action as he finished a three-quarter length second in the G3 Oaklawn Mile on Saturday.

Hen Party had finished in front of Kentucky Oaks contender Lorelei Lee on her previous outing and the daughter of G1 winner Fair Maiden picked up valuable Black Type with success in the Serena's Song Stakes at Turfway Park on the same day.

Unbeaten colt King’s Trail followed up a debut success with a straightforward victory in a Kempton Park conditions race in the UK on Saturday. Notable Speech won the same race in 2024 before going on to glory in the 2,000 Guineas, and King’s Trail could himself develop into a Classic contender.