A much-anticipated third showdown between Ombudsman and Delacroix in next week's Irish Champion Stakes (G1) is off after connections of the Prince of Wales's (G1) and Juddmonte International (G1) stakes winner have decided to freshen him for a busy autumn campaign.
Following Delacroix's first defeat of the John and Thady Gosden-trained 4-year-old in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown Park, Ombudsman settled the score when stretching 3 1/2 lengths clear of that rival at York last month.
Speaking from Ballydoyle at a press conference Sept. 1 ahead of the Irish Champions Festival, Aidan O'Brien implored the Gosden team to bring Ombudsman over to Ireland and promised a relentless pace to ensure we find out who is the best of the high-class colts.
The Gosden stable has won the Irish Champion Stakes four times, most recently with Roaring Lion in 2018, but there will be no Clarehaven runner this time. The training duo are to prepare Godolphin's Night of Thunder colt for an international autumn campaign beginning in the Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot Oct.18 and then taking in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) and Japan Cup (G1).
John Gosden said: "Ombudsman has been in full training since February and has raced in May, June, July, and August. In June, at Royal Ascot, he showed extraordinary acceleration to win easily off a very fast pace. At York, in the Juddmonte International, the pacemaker was completely ignored and a steady pace was set by the Japanese jockey.
"Once again, Ombudsman displayed a phenomenal turn of foot in the last furlong to win by three and half lengths. He will now be freshened up for an autumn campaign targeting the Champion Stakes at Ascot, the Breeders' Cup, and the Japan Cup."
On the Irish Champion Stakes, for which Ombudsman was the 6-4 favorite, he added: "The Irish Champion Stakes is a race that our stable has won four times. Obviously, it would not be in the best interests of Ombudsman to race in September nor would the horse appreciate running against multiple entries from one stable on a track with a short straight."
The toughness which accompanies his class will be needed should Ombudsman take in all three autumn targets, with two weeks from the Champion Stakes to the Breeders' Cup, before a 29-day gap to the Japan Cup.
Whether or not his path and that of Delacroix will cross again remains to be seen, although he could become well acquainted with another of Europe's top middle-distance stars in Calandagan, who may take in both Ascot and Tokyo before the end of the year.
Ombudsman earned his berth in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf thanks to his Breeders' Cup Challenge Series success in the Juddmonte International, while both Ascot and York are among the global series of group 1s, which carry lucrative bonuses for the Japan Cup.
Should Ombudsman become the first foreign-trained winner of the race since 2005, he would earn an extra £2.23 million on top of the £2.6 million first prize, while even 10th place is worth more than £200,000 in prize money and bonuses, only around £15,000 less than second place in the Irish Champion.
