Buick found the opening, and Ombudsman did the rest in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Ombudsman unleashed a powerful turn of foot once finding daylight and stormed home to capture his first Group 1 in style, getting the better of Anmaat and See The Fire

William Buick picked the perfect spot, and Ombudsman took care of the rest / ROYAL ASCOT

When Ombudsman finally saw daylight, he exploded. The son of Golden Horn overcame traffic in the straight and unleashed a devastating late surge to win Wednesday’s G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (2000m, turf) in emphatic fashion, providing one of the standout moments of the second day at Royal Ascot 2025.

Ridden with confidence by William Buick, the John and Thady Gosden trainee settled at the rear of the field, conserving energy as Continuous (Heart’s Cry) set a strong tempo up front to benefit his stablemate Los Angeles(Camelot), who failed to fire in the stretch and faded to fifth as the favorite.

Instead, it was Ombudsman—coming off his lone career defeat to Almaqam (Lope de Vega) in the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes—who delivered a sparkling performance. After shifting paths twice in the straight, he found clear running room 200 meters from the wire and displayed an electric turn of foot, surging past Anmaat (Awtaad) to win by two lengths. See The Fire (Sea The Stars) closed for third, another 2 1/2 lengths back.

It was the fifth win in six starts for the Godolphin runner and a landmark 70th Royal Ascot victory for John Gosden. “The plan was to switch him off behind what we expected to be a strong pace from Aidan’s horse,” the trainer explained. “The key was whether we’d get the luck in the straight, and William was very patient. Once the gap appeared, we knew Ombudsman had that electric kick.”

“This horse was always a long-term project,” Gosden continued. “It’s something we discussed with Sheikh Mohammed from the beginning. I told him, ‘He’s immature, he’ll need time,’ and he said: ‘No rush.’ Today, he’s fully furnished, a proper 4-year-old—and that’s thanks to the owner’s patience. As a trainer, there’s nothing better than having that kind of support behind you.” Next stop: the G1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park.

William Buick added: “It’s always special to win here. Ombudsman was taking a step up today and showed he belongs at this level. I had to switch him out twice, but he still won decisively. What he did in the last 200 meters was exceptional. Right now, he’s very sharp at a mile and a quarter—I wouldn’t be in a hurry to stretch him to a mile and a half just yet.”

Owen Burrows, trainer of runner-up Anmaat, offered no excuses: “He ran a stormer. Came there with a chance, but the Gosden horse just quickened better. Maybe he has an edge on softer ground, but I won’t lean on that. We’ll think about the Eclipse, York, Ireland—but the big aim is to be back here in October for the G1 Champion Stakes.”

Oisin Murphy, aboard See The Fire, concluded: “That was her best performance to date. It was a closer’s race, and she responded brilliantly. I’m very proud of her.”