Godolphin’s Ombudsman hopes to continue his superb 2026 season by becoming the first horse in 30 years to win back-to-back renewals of the G1 Juddmonte International on Wednesday.
Since its introduction in 1972, only three horses have managed to achieve this feat in the showpiece of York’s Ebor Festival.
Godolphin star Halling was the most recent to achieve this for legendary Emirati trainer Saeed bin Suroor in 1995 and 1996.
Ombudsman was a convincing winner last year when he beat Delacroix.
A runner-up in the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot in October, Ombudsman returns to York in magnificent form, having won all three of his starts this year for John & Thady Gosden.
The Night Of Thunder entire started his campaign at Meydan with a decisive victory in the G1 Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup Night before defying a 7lb penalty when gamely denying Gethin in the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park in May.
Ombudsman headed back to Royal Ascot for the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes – a race he had won with authority in 2025 – and the five-year-old produced a career-best performance as he stormed to a four-length success over Minnie Hauk.
Devil’s Advocate, who performed pacemaking duties for Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes and this year’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, will attempt to perform a similar role for his stablemate again.
Having partnered Ombudsman on his last seven starts, William Buick is confident ahead of the big race.
“I sat on Ombudsman the other morning and he felt his usual self. It is a competitive race, it always is, and one of the great races,” Buick said.
“You go into it with plenty of respect, but we have all seen what Ombudsman can do.”
Source: Khaleej Times