Timeform Ratings Review: Ombudsman confirms himself the best in Europe

This was the first Champions Day at Ascot to be run on ground Timeform described as ‘good’ which was in line with the official description. Conditions weren’t quite as quick as twelve months ago, therefore, but certainly better than could normally be expected for the time of year given that good to soft or soft ground has prevailed for the meeting most years since it moved to Ascot in 2011. After some huge shocks last year, with one exception the Group 1 results went much more to form this time, two short-priced favourites obliging, and few horses on the day improved their rating to any great degree.

The surprise came in the Long Distance Cup, run as a Group 1 for the second time, and while the first two from the Gold Cup, Trawlerman (retired) and Scandinavia (finished for the season) were missing, the betting was headed by St Leger winner Highwayman (120 from 121p) bidding to become the first three-year-old to be successful. However, his rapid progress came to an end as he could finish only third, though he looks sure to be fully effective at two miles another day and it’s still likely he’ll make a significant impact in the top staying races next year.

Victory went instead to Andrew Balding’s 33/1-shot Mount Atlas (117 from 114), twice successful in handicap company at Ascot previously and winner of the Silver Cup at York earlier this season. He took advantage of some of the more fancied runners not being at their best to beat the Prix du Cadran third Queenstown (ran up to best of 116) by three quarters of a length, though a Group 1 penalty will make life tougher for him next season.

The Champions Sprint Stakes had a winner worthy of the race title given that Almeraq (remains 126) added to his wins in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and Sprint Cup to become the first since Highfield Princess in 2022 to win three Group 1 sprints in the same season. He didn’t show the same form as he had when storming clear on soft ground at Haydock but did well to reel in clear leader Paborus (120 from 119) late on having been rather caught out of his ground. It remains to be seen if Almeraq stays in training at five, more likely that he’s earned his place at stud now.

Clear of the rest, Paborus found only Almeraq too good for the second start running, stealing a march on the rest of the field on the far rail and running to a higher level than the last two winners of this contest. He looks a ready-made replacement in the top sprints next year for recently retired stablemate Regional.

Despite seeming a bit flat in the Arc less than a fortnight earlier, Kalpana was sent off at even-money to win a third Fillies & Mares Stakes but ended her fine racing career finishing only seventh behind Minnie Hauk (remains 122) who had been a bit further back at Longchamp. Evidently suffering from corns this year, Minnie Hauk didn’t have to run close to her best to get her head in front for the first time since a successful reappearance in the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh, having had an underwhelming season since then. In a race where it was an advantage to race prominently, she got the better of another daughter of Frankel, the Give Thanks Stakes winner Believed (112 from 105p) by a length and a half. Minnie Hauk could make one last appearance at the Breeders’ Cup before a probable mating with Justify.

The remainder of the card belonged to Godolphin, starting with Talk of New York (remains 124) coming out best in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes where three-year-olds took four of the first five places despite a disappointing run from favourite Gstaad. That pair had finished placed behind the retired Bow Echo, the standard setter among this year’s three-year-old milers, in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Talk of New York is maturing all the time, though, and followed up his Joel Stakes win with an authoritative performance, one that augurs well for next year when he’s likely to be the one to beat in races like the Lockinge and Queen Anne.

The latest Queen Anne winner Ten Bob Tony (remains 122) ran another sound race in second ahead of the staying-on Prix Jacques le Marois winner Rayif (remains 120+) who would likely have been served by a stronger gallop and should do well again next year if kept in training. Rank outsider Needle Match (119 from 108), pacemaking for stablemate More Thunder, was one of the few notable improvers on the card, seeming to excel himself in fourth, and his effort is worth taking at face value for the time being given he’s lightly raced and had shown bits of promise.

Fittingly, the performance of the day came in the Champion Stakes from Ombudsman (ran up to best of 134), the fact that conditions had remained in his favour this late in the year very much a bonus to his campaign after his one defeat this year on softer ground in the Juddmonte International. The field of six might have been the smallest since Frankel beat the same number of rivals in 2012, but it was a quality line-up, this being just the third time in the last five seasons that five horses with a Timeform rating of 125 or more had met anywhere in the world.

With William Buick keeping Ombudsman handier than than twelve months ago but delaying his challenge later, he quickened right away from old rival and last year’s winner Calandagan (remains 130) who underlined that he’s not quite as good as he was in 2025. There were almost four lengths between the first two, with Arc runner-up Bay City Roller (remains 126), who’d led briefly in the straight, completing the first three. Ombudsman therefore ran to the same level as when winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes over course and distance for the second time – beating Minnie Hauk, Daryz and Almaqam (fourth again here, 127 from 128) – at the Royal meeting, confirming himself top of the European rankings. A first try at a mile and a half in the Breeders’ Cup Turf awaits as his final race before going to stud.

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