Kieran Clark reacts to a bizarre Juddmonte International at York where Ombudsman eventually got to his pacemaker to run out a ready winner.
International French-zy
Mention the word International in football and you’re likely to hear a few groans as those breaks often come when the Premier League is just about to hit top gear, though it admittedly often proved respite for me during Manchester United’s disastrous latest campaign.
Do it to any fellow racing fan, however, and it’s safe to say that word ignites excitement. The Ebor Festival four-day bonanza is here and, being from God’s Own County, it’s obviously the best meeting of the year, right?! This is certainly no friendly, either.
This year’s running very much was International by name and nature, just two of the sextet trained on home soil, with a pair of exciting three-year-olds – the French-trained one unbeaten - adding extra intrigue into a mix that already contained a multiple Group One winner from Japan.
However, it was the other runner from across the channel who was supplemented earlier in the week at the cost of £85,000 that turned it into one of the enthralling viewing spectacles that this race often tends to be, Birr Castle doing his job as a pacemaker but ignored by the remainder, his lead upwards of 30 lengths approaching the straight and still a sizeable one over two furlongs out (where he traded at 2/1 in-running on Betfair) until finally being worn down by the favourite and fellow Godolphin owner-mate Ombudsman approaching the final 100 yds, lightning briefly looking like it might strike twice following Qirat’s surprise Sussex win.
The electric turn of foot that Ombudsman displayed was very much on a par with that he displayed when winning at Royal Ascot, his closing sectionals likely to be a key influence on whether his Timeform master rating is inflated from an already top-class 130. The proximity of the third certainly giving us something at Timeform Towers to ponder over. More to follow tomorrow on that score.
Irish Champion at his mercy?
Immediately installed as a short-priced favourite for the big one across the Irish Sea next month, it’s worth delving into the statistics on how the winner of the International has fared in the last two decades next time out. Not great I’m afraid to say.
Just a trio have managed to follow up, two of those being at Leopardstown, Sea The Stars and the much-missed Roaring Lion, and the mighty Frankel in our equivalent on the final start of his career. Those modern-day greats prove that it can be done, though in the same timeframe Baaeed, Ghaiyyath, Australia and Rip Van Winkle were turned over at odds-on on their next outing, whilst 2/1 or less brings in four more winners and an overall average downturn next time out as much as 9.5lb.
There are of course certain factors for the above, the softening of the ground into the autumn one, as is the fact that plenty of those may have had hard campaigns, something Ombudsman has not endured, but a quick look at history tells us he is by no means a steering job next month.
Paddock notes
There were paddock clues aplenty as far as the Ballydoyle brigade were concerned, Italy losing the battle of the Acomb but I’m confident he will win the war, a strong, attractive type, he will be even better at 1m and beyond and we could be talking about a Derby contender come next spring.
Dual Derby hero Lambourn might have looked disappointing at first glance, but he looked to be carrying condition beforehand on his return from a seven-week break and his St Leger hopes certainly haven’t been dented on the back of this, 6/1 looking an overreaction as his fellow Group-One winning stablemate Scandanavia hardened at the head of the betting.
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