Ombudsman rules Royal Ascot again with Prince Of Wales’s Stakes rout

Ombudsman continued his perfect season as he defended his Prince Of Wales’s Stakes crown with another imposing display in the Royal Ascot highlight.

The Night Of Thunder entire became fourth horse to win Wednesday’s 10-furlong feature twice, and first since it was upgraded to G1 status in 2000, with a dominant victory over decorated stars Minnie Hauk and Daryz.

Ombudsman holds an entry in next month’s Eclipse Stakes, although he was narrowly denied in the race last year. He could instead head straight to York in August and bid to capture back-to-back renewals of the Juddmonte International – a feat last achieved by Halling in 1996.

A sensational meeting for Night Of Thunder saw him end the week as leading sire with four wins, including more G1 success with the unbeaten Bow Echo in the St James’s Palace Stakes and Ten Bob Tony in the Queen Anne Stakes.

Trawlerman endured a difficult preparation for Royal Ascot, with an eye problem almost forcing him to miss the meeting, but the veteran stayer produced a superb effort in the Gold Cup as he went down by a head to younger rival Scandinavia in the finish of the week.

Opera Ballo ran well to finish third after making the running in the Queen Anne Stakes and he looks to set to return to racing around a bend in next month’s Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Notable Speech’s Ascot hoodoo continued as he could only finish sixth in the same race. He looks set to follow the same programme as 2025 for the rest of the year, with trips to Deauville, Canada and Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup on his agenda.

Talk Of New York acquitted himself well on his first top-level appearance as he took third behind Guineas winners Bow Echo and Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes, while Morris Dancer filled the same spot on his return from a layoff in Saturday’s G3 Jersey Stakes.

Newmarket’s July Course hosted its first fixture of 2026 on Friday, with juvenile filly Musical Times winning the opening race at the track under Zac Lloyd. The jockey also scored at the course 24 hours later on Al Hudaiba, who captured a seven-furlong novice won by Ancient Wisdom and Ancient Truth in recent years.  

Sovereignty’s victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby proved a springboard to greatness and North America’s reigning Horse of the Year returns to Churchill Downs for the first time since his famous win when he lines up in Saturday’s G1 Stephen Foster Stakes.

The Bill Mott-trained colt was runner-up to White Abarrio on his four-year-old return in April’s Oaklawn Handicap and reopposes the same horse, with Baeza and Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline victor Magnitude also featuring in a blockbuster renewal.