Ombudsman joins Ka Ying Rising atop world rankings after Royal Ascot demolition

Jumping from 125 to 131, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes hero Ombudsman now joins Ka Ying Rising on top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for July.

At Royal Ascot, Ombudsman defeated Minnie Hauk, 121, by four lengths with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz, 126, in third and Almaqam, 122, fourth in 2m 03.24sec over 1m2f.

In comparing Ombudsman to the likes of Enable, Kingman and Golden Horn, John Gosden said, “He’s right up there now with what he’s done, but you’re talking of Enable who won everything.”

“He’s a lovely horse who will make a good stallion. He’s got all the right things: a good mind, as well as a fabulous body and strength with his performance again being out of the ordinary.”

And with Ombudsman providing winning jockey William Buick with his 40th winner of the royal meeting, it was William stating “He was always in control. The pace was good and even.”

“I had Daryz in front of me and Minnie Hauk was ahead of him, and everyone was where they wanted to be. When I asked, he just went past them and extended to the line. He was electric.”

Now three-from-three this season with victories in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes and Dubai Turf, he was the third Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot for his 2000 Guineas-winning sire Night of Thunder.

A five-year-old bay horse from the winning Dansili mare Syndicate, a sister to Runnymede and Stipulate, he was a 340,000gns purchase at the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and was bred by James Hardy.

Now the winner of 20 consecutive races, Ka Ying Rising has claimed the Centenary Sprint Cup, Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, Sprint Cup and Chairman’s Sprint Prize among his victories this year.

With his rating increasing to 131 from last month’s 130 following a review of his win in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize and the subsequent performances of Satono Reve, Raging Blizzard and Comanche Brave, it has led to a 1lb rise in the race.

Also at Royal Ascot, Scandinavia, 123, defeated Trawlerman, 122, by a head to take out the Gold Cup and give Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien his record 10th race success and 100th Royal Ascot winner.

The Marco Botti-trained Giavellotto, 121, won the Hardwicke Stakes at the royal meeting by a short head over Kalpana, 120, while Ten Bob Tony, 121, was victorious in the Queen Anne Stakes.

Both Constitution River, 124, and Magnitude, 124, have joined the Top 10 with Constitution River taking out the Coral-Eclipse to join the rankings having also won the Prix du Jockey Club.

Magnitude improved from 122 with a 1¾-length victory in the Stephen Foster Stakes over Baeza, 121, and Sovereignty, 122, having won the Dubai World Cup from Forever Young, 123, in March.

In addition, Meisho Tabaru, 123, improved his rating to 123 from 120 with a neck victory over Croix Du Nord in the Takarazuka Kinen, having finished second to him in the Osaka Hai in April.

Calandagan, 122, also had his rating rise from 121 on winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, having also won the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic in March for owner-breeder the Aga Khan Studs.