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Scottish Sun
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
The best horse in the world absolutely smashed in for £1million race as bookies fear gigantic payout
His trainer sounds bullish of an even better performance BUD LIGHT The best horse in the world absolutely smashed in for £1million race as bookies fear gigantic payout Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MASSIVE gamble is building on the world's best horse - as bookies fear a punter onslaught at Sandown on Saturday. John & Thady Gosden's outstanding four-year-old Ombudsman has an official rating of 128. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Ombudsman was crowned best horse in the world after his awesome Royal Ascot win - and is being backed to repeat the feat in the Coral-Eclipse Credit: Reuters No other horse on the planet can match that. And, worryingly for his rivals, Thady says the Godolphin-owned colt is getting even better. Ombudsman left his rivals for dead with a devastating turn of foot in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. And Paddy Power report it being one-way traffic in the betting ahead of the £1million Coral-Eclipse. Ombudsman is all set to run - renewing his partnership with William Buick despite his 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court being among the list of potential runners too. Victory for Ombudsman, who Paddy think could go off odds-on having been pumped in from 13-8 to 11-8 to evens, would be a killer for bookies. They enjoyed a stellar Royal Ascot with a number of fancied runners getting turned over, memorably thanks to big-price winners such as 33-1 Cercene and 25-1 Time For Sandals. But punters will be baying for blood in the 1m2f Group 1 at the Surrey track. Paddy's Paul Binfield said: "Ombudsman has really been the only horse that anyone has wanted since we adjusted the market at the five-day stage, arguably because of doubts about some of his possible rivals actually turning up on the Esher slopes and it's now very possible that he'll go off a shade of odds-on on the actual day." Race sponsors Coral currently hold the biggest price at 6-4 but that has been clipped in too. The firm's David Stevens said: "Although we don't yet know the final line-up for Saturday's first ever £1m Coral-Eclipse, we do know it's all systems go with Ombudsman. "And following his impressive Royal Ascot victory, he's the clear pick with punters at this stage." Thady, who trains alongside his legendary dad John, was confident in the colt's ability speaking on Tuesday. He said: "He has come out of Royal Ascot in very good order and only had one run beforehand this season at Sandown in the Brigadier Gerard when he was second to Almaqam. "He hasn't had a hard season or really a hard career so far so we thought why not go for this? "The Prince Of Wales's was a very tough race with a lot of Group One horses in there. "He is still relatively inexperienced and that was his first run in a Group One. "We always thought he had the potential to be a horse of the class he has turned out to be and we found that out on the day at Ascot. "He had a few traffic problems at Ascot but luckily has that turn of foot that Night Of Thunder seems to give them and he picked up really well. "He has plenty of speed – he's always had it. He has improved with every start and got the mile and a quarter well last time." Coral-Eclipse odds via Coral 6-4 Ombudsman 9-2 Sosie 13-2 Camille Pissarro 8-1 Delacroix 9-1 Almaqam, Anmaat 11-1 Ruling Court 14-1 White Birch 20-1 Stanhope Gardens 33-1 Hotazhell 66-1 Expanded FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.


Irish Examiner
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ombudsman has all the answers in Prince Of Wales's
Ombudsman displayed a devastating change of gear to run out a brilliant winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. Successful on each of his first four starts last season, including a Group 3 win in France, John and Thady Gosden's colt met with defeat for the first time when second to Almaqam on his return to action in last month's Brigadier Gerard at Sandown. The Godolphin-owned four-year-old faced a further hike in class for this Group 1 feature, but after being settled well off the strong early pace by William Buick, he engaged overdrive once in the clear halfway up the straight and readily picked off the gallant Anmaat to win by two lengths going away. See The Fire was third, another two and a half lengths behind the 7-1 winner, but Aidan O'Brien's Los Angeles, the 13-8 favourite, faded into fifth place. Gosden Sr, celebrating his 70th Royal Ascot winner, said: "He's a special horse and it's just a question of an owner giving you the time to let them mature and get there. "He's got a turn of foot and he (Buick) knew it, it was a matter of getting out, but I did notice when he finally got daylight there was a furlong to go." He went on: "It's a question of, when you get to the straight, whether you get the luck. He wasn't in a position where he could swing round the field, it was more of a case of waiting for the gap. "He was very patient. I knew when there was a gap at the furlong pole that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot — he was patient and he was rewarded. "When we bought him he was an immature horse, he didn't run as a two-year-old and as a three-year-old we brought him on and then put him away. He's horse who is now properly grown and developed as a four-year-old. "He's a mile-and-a-quarter horse, he's got a wonderful turn of foot as you saw and I think we'll play to that strength. As far as I'm concerned he's done nothing but grow in stature. "He is a horse that because he hasn't over-raced this year, he could be a horse you could look at the Eclipse. "That wouldn't be my choice (to run him against Field Of Gold)." Thady Gosden added: "When William found a gap he asked him to go through it and he was very quick. "The Eclipse looks like the natural step to take. It was a top-class field today, it was the most elite field of the week as it often is and he showed what he was capable of there. "It wasn't a huge field but it was highly elite, as you'd expect at this meeting. He certainly came up good." Buick was noticeably jubilant on passing the line, after an opening day that had seen high-profile reverses for Notable Speech and Ruling Court. He said: "This place tames lions. It's so special to win here because it's so tough, everyone comes here in great form and everyone is doing their very best of course. "They went a hard gallop. I was always going to have to ride for a bit of luck and he quickened instantly. I thought he was impressive. "I think that was a taste of what's to come for sure. He's got low miles on the clock, he's an exciting horse."


South Wales Guardian
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Setback puts Friendly Soul plans on hold
The daughter of Kingman was a shining light for John and Thady Gosden last season, winning four of her five starts and claiming top honours in the Prix de l'Opera at ParisLongchamp in October. Both the Lockinge and Brigadier Gerard had been earmarked for the high-class four-year-old's reappearance, while she held entries for both the Queen Anne and Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, Friendly Soul was removed from both contests at the most recent entry stage, with no set timescale for her comeback. 'She's just had a setback and hopefully we will see her later on in the season,' explained Thady Gosden. 'We'll have to wait and see and she is obviously an extremely high-class filly, so she will be given all the time she needs. 'Sadly her mother, In Clover, who was one of the greatest broodmares of recent times, passed away recently. 'She's a very exciting for Mr (George) Strawbridge and a home-bred filly of course and hopefully she will be back later in the year.' The four-year-old retains entries for the Coral-Eclipse and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe later in the season.


North Wales Chronicle
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Setback puts Friendly Soul plans on hold
The daughter of Kingman was a shining light for John and Thady Gosden last season, winning four of her five starts and claiming top honours in the Prix de l'Opera at ParisLongchamp in October. Both the Lockinge and Brigadier Gerard had been earmarked for the high-class four-year-old's reappearance, while she held entries for both the Queen Anne and Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, Friendly Soul was removed from both contests at the most recent entry stage, with no set timescale for her comeback. 'She's just had a setback and hopefully we will see her later on in the season,' explained Thady Gosden. 'We'll have to wait and see and she is obviously an extremely high-class filly, so she will be given all the time she needs. 'Sadly her mother, In Clover, who was one of the greatest broodmares of recent times, passed away recently. 'She's a very exciting for Mr (George) Strawbridge and a home-bred filly of course and hopefully she will be back later in the year.' The four-year-old retains entries for the Coral-Eclipse and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe later in the season.


Powys County Times
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Setback puts Friendly Soul plans on hold
Friendly Soul's return to the track will be further delayed as a setback will keep the Group One winner on the sidelines until later in the season. The daughter of Kingman was a shining light for John and Thady Gosden last season, winning four of her five starts and claiming top honours in the Prix de l'Opera at ParisLongchamp in October. Both the Lockinge and Brigadier Gerard had been earmarked for the high-class four-year-old's reappearance, while she held entries for both the Queen Anne and Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, Friendly Soul was removed from both contests at the most recent entry stage, with no set timescale for her comeback. 'She's just had a setback and hopefully we will see her later on in the season,' explained Thady Gosden. 'We'll have to wait and see and she is obviously an extremely high-class filly, so she will be given all the time she needs. 'Sadly her mother, In Clover, who was one of the greatest broodmares of recent times, passed away recently. 'She's a very exciting for Mr (George) Strawbridge and a home-bred filly of course and hopefully she will be back later in the year.'