Ombudsman

The recent form tells its own story. In the last six races, the finishes read 2-1-2-1-2-1 — a pattern so consistent it almost looks made up. Three wins, three runner-up finishes, no disasters, no off days. That kind of alternating sequence suggests a horse right at the sharp end of its division, consistently competitive against the best company. Finishing second in a top-level race is nothing to be embarrassed about — it usually means you have beaten every other horse in the field except one very good one.

In the saddle for most of those performances has been William Buick, one of the most respected jockeys in the country. Together, he and Ombudsman have won 3 of their 5 races — that is three wins from five, a 60% success rate that speaks to a genuine partnership. The training operation behind the horse is John and Thady Gosden at Newmarket, a yard that has sent out 136 winners already this season alone. This is one of the most powerful stables in British racing, and Ombudsman is clearly among its better horses.

The one question mark heading into any next appearance is fitness. Ombudsman has not raced for around five months, returning from a break that started after that York victory last August. A layoff that long can take the edge off even the sharpest horse, and the team will need to have this one spot-on to recapture that top-level form. But with a yard of this quality preparing the return, and a horse that has already proved it can win the biggest races on offer, there is every reason to think the best of Ombudsman is still ahead of it.