The top analyst is back with his hitlist for next week's Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York.
Storm brewing for Godolphin
DISTANT STORM is one of two entries for Charlie Appleby in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes on Wednesday (2.25) – the stable are 27 from 72 runners (38%) with their juveniles in 2025.
A colt by Night of Thunder, who cost €1,900,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Ups in May, he is a half-brother to Beautiful Morning who won the Convivial Maiden Stakes at this fixture ten years ago. All the rage on his debut in a seven furlongs maiden at Newmarket’s July meeting (Good/Firm), he led over a furlong out before fending off the late thrust of Constitution River (won easily next time) to prevail by a short head.
The Godolphin runner hit a top speed of 42.30mph covering the penultimate furlong in 10.88 seconds, according to Race Iq. Field of Gold won the race in 2024 and Elusive Pimpernel completed the same double in 2009. The form couldn’t have worked out much better with the second, third, fifth (by 8 lengths), sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth winning since. Entered in the Champagne, National and Dewhurst Stakes this Autumn, the yard have yet to win this with subsequent 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court finishing third last year.
OMBUDSMAN is the selection for the Juddmonte International Stakes on the opening afternoon (3.35).
Unbeaten in four runs last year (Listed & Group 3 winner), he has improved again as a four year old. The son of Night of Thunder, who cost 340,000gns as a yearling, is rated 127 and will benefit from the presence of a pacemaker – Godolphin have supplemented (£85,000) dual French Listed winner Birr Castle to ensure a strong early gallop. A length and three quarters runner-up in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown (1m 2f : Good) in late May, John & Thady Gosden’s charge then produced an explosive display to win the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot (1m 2f : Good/Firm).
Despite the fact William Buick (1112) had to sit and wait before pulling his mount to the outside, his mount showed an electric turn of foot to winning going away by two lengths from Anmaat and See The Fire. According to Race Iq, he covered the last furlong in 11.82 seconds. Seventeen days later (which is too close a gap between two prestigious races in the calendar), he was mugged on the line by the aforementioned Delacroix in the Group 1 Eclipse at Sandown (1m 2f : Good/Firm).
Having got warm beforehand (which he didn’t do at Ascot), he hit the front at the two pole before being collared late on by the Ballydoyle runner. It was his third race in 37 days and he will have benefited from a 46 day break since. His record on good to firm is 112 and he will hopefully be delivered late off a fast pace. The Clarehaven team have won this three times since 2018.
