Ombudsman sees off Delacroix to secure International Stakes success

Birr Castle, a 150-1 pacemaker, had 20-length leadOmbudsman now targeting Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe testA summer of odd and muddling Group One races continued as Ombudsman, the favourite, eventually stayed on well through the final furlong to win the International Stakes by three and a half lengths,

Birr Castle, a 150-1 pacemaker, had 20-length lead
Ombudsman now targeting Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe test

A summer of odd and muddling Group One races continued as Ombudsman, the favourite, eventually stayed on well through the final furlong to win the International Stakes by three and a half lengths, after Birr Castle, the 150-1 pacemaker, had straightened up for home with a 20-length lead.

It was an ultimately convincing success for a high-class and still-improving four-year-old, who did not see a racecourse until June 2024 but, less than a month after Qirat’s 150-1 win in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, it was not an easy watch.