Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)

7/1 CHANCE Ombudsman (John & Thady Gosden/William Buick) gave his trainers a double and opened his Group 1 account at the first attempt to win an intriguing renewal of the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. Held up by William Buick, the Godolphin colt had to switched twice to obtain a clear passage, but when finding room he flew home to beat 2024 QIPCO Champion Stakes winner Anmaat (Owen Burrows/Jim Crowley) by two lengths.

See The Fire (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) recouped the money it cost to supplement her by finishing third, with 13/8 favourite Los Angeles disappointing after doing too much too soon in the contest. Ombudsman’s only defeat in six starts came when just touched off by Almaqam in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park last month.

This was a 70th Royal Ascot success for John Gosden, including those since Thady’s name was added to the licence in 2021, while the winning ride was a 37th at the fixture for William Buick.

John Gosden said: “The plan was to just relax off the pace, which was strong and set up for Los Angeles, who is a real dour, long-striding staying horse, but to that extent we knew we’d be comfortable where we were. It was just the question of when you get in the straight, would you get the luck? William wasn’t in a position where he could swing around the field; it was more a case of waiting for the gap. And he was very patient, but I knew when he got a gap at the furlong pole, that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot. So he was patient, and he was rewarded.

“When we bought him with Anthony Stroud, I said, ‘look, he’s an immature horse, give me a chance with him’, and he said, ‘take as long as you like’. Sheikh Mohammed is without doubt the easiest owner I’ve ever trained for. Now Ombudsman has fully grown and developed, the owner is getting rewarded. When you are a trainer, it’s very nice to train for people who aren’t putting the pressure on.

“Ombudsman is a mile-and-a-quarter horse. He has a wonderful turn of foot and has done nothing but grow in stature. I think we had him spot on. He is a horse who, because he hasn’t over-raced this year, you could be looking at the Eclipse with.”

Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)

9/4 FAVOURITE True Love (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) confirmed the promise of her previous runs to give her trainer a belated first winner in the contest when landing Wednesday’s Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. Drawn highest of all, the daughter of No Nay Never took time to pick up, but responded gamely to power to the front in the last furlong.

At the line, she had a length and a quarter to spare over 100/1 shot Flowerhead (Charlie Clover/Colin Keane) with Lennilu (Patrick Biancone/Luis Saez) third, a length and three-quarters behind the winner. True Love had been second on both previous starts, behind the unbeaten Lady Imam on debut at the Curragh and to stablemate Gstaad at Naas, with both those efforts advertised since by the winners.

O’Brien said: “There was no pace where she was, so she had to do her own work and that’s what Ryan did. He was excellent on her. He wasn’t going to wait on anybody. I think probably the strongest part of her was the last half a furlong – when she got going, she really powered away.

“She had her first run and Ryan came in and said, ‘They won’t beat her again’. On her second run, Wayne came in and said, ‘They won’t beat her again’. Then you see the two that beat her…! The lads will decide, but you would imagine she’ll have no problem going six, although she is a No Nay Never and he is a big influence for speed.”

Moore said: “True Love is a tall, scopey girl. She looked a different class to the others down at the start. She is a No Nay Never and they’re usually big, strong, powerful, fast two-year-olds; she’s got all that size, but she feels like she’ll be better when she goes a bit further.”

Queen’s Vase (Group 2)

CARMERS (Paddy Twomey/Billy Lee) broke the track record in winning the Group 2 Queen’s Vase, maintaining his own unbeaten record and providing Twomey with a first Royal Ascot success.

A winner at Ballinrobe and Navan, the Fiona Carmichael-owned Carmers was always forwardly placed, with Lee sending him to the front going well entering the straight and kicking for home early.

Carmers – who has raced in blinkers since his debut - got a little tired having made such a decisive move, edging right in the closing stages but rallying strongly when challenged to score by a hard-fought three-parts of a length and a head from Furthur (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) and Rahiebb (Roger Varian/Silvestre de Sousa). The winner was returned at 9/2.

Carmers clocked 2m 59.53s, beating the previous record which was set in the same race last year by Illinois, although the mile and a quarter trip at Ascot has only been made popular since the Queen’s Vase was reduced from two miles in 2017.

Twomey said: “I appreciate being sent nice horses, and it’s great that he went and delivered for Fiona today. Carmers is a very important horse for her. I knew he would stay and I knew turning in that Billy looked comfortable. When the bell rang, I thought that we had a chance because staying is his game.

“He is obviously going to have an entry in the St Leger. He has run three times, won three times, and hopefully he continues doing that. We have nice horses and good owners, and it’s fantastic to be able to come here with them. This is my first Royal Ascot winner, although we did have winners at Cheltenham and Aintree last season.”

Lee, who won Tuesday’s Ascot Stakes on Ascending, said: “I love coming here – it is the pinnacle of our sport. Me and Colin are after riding winners, and it is great for the Irish lads to be riding winners here. Paddy is a big part now of my career and it’s great to deliver his first Royal Ascot winner. Hopefully, this is the first of many.”

Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)

THE Clarehaven Stables of John and Thady Gosden have sent out the winner of the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes six times since the race was first run as the Windsor Forest Stakes in 2004, with Crimson Advocate (James McDonald) the latest on the roll of honour. Winner of the Queen Mary Stakes here as a juvenile for George Weaver, Crimson Advocate made her debut for the Gosdens in the King Charles III Stakes a year ago but has proven herself better at a mile than sprinting subsequently, and she was suited by the relative test of speed here, with 2024 winner Running Lion again making the running.

That mare still led by a couple of lengths at the furlong pole, but was quickly swallowed up by the finishing burst of Crimson Advocate, who scored by a length and three-quarters with favourite Cinderella’s Dream (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) running on to snatch second, a head in front of Fallen Angel (Karl Burke/James Doyle), with Running Lion fading to fourth.

John Gosden said: “We knew Crimson Advocate would run a big race, although I didn’t expect her to go by those three fillies. Running Lion won it last year, the second and third are Group 1 fillies. I said to James, ‘just settle her’. He did a beautiful job. She was in really great hands. Last year, she came in from America and the plan was to run her in the King Charles III. William rode her and said she was looking for a bend after three furlongs, being an American filly.

“We settled her, gave her a long time off and she ran really well in the Snowdrop, finishing strongly. Rab settled her at Goodwood the other day, got up and won. Full marks to Rab and everyone, and Thady, who have been devoting their time to settling her. She sat in last and blew them away. I am absolutely thrilled. I have to say, this one was not much to do with me.”

Day two comment:

AIDAN O’Brien plugged one of the few gaps on his CV by producing True Love to win the Queen Mary at Ascot on Wednesday, but the lacklustre run of Los Angeles in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes would have tempered the joy of the Master of Ballydoyle, and the person who would have taken most satisfaction from the day must be veteran handler John Gosden. Sure, son Thady is on the licence and hungry for his own glory, but Gosden Senior isn’t the type to take a back seat, and he was relishing the sunshine of Ascot after saddling a double on Wednesday’s card, courtesy of Crimson Advocate and Ombudsman, both of which will have given him particular pleasure. Crimson Advocate was a confirmed sprinter when arriving at Clarehaven last year, but the 2023 Queen Mary winner cut little ice in the King Charles III Stakes and looked like she would be hard to place. In fairness to Gosden – and he placed much of the thanks at the feet of Thady – the team at Clarehaven have done a remarkable job reinventing her as a miler, and she built on a listed win at Goodwood to produce an unlikely career best to mow down her rivals in the Duke of Cambridge.

She could clash again with runner-up Cinderella’s Dream in the Falmouth at Newmarket’s July Meeting, but it’s very much a case of mission accomplished with the Wathnan Racing purchase. Ombudsman was up against a host of experienced Group 1 performers in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, but he overcame a torrid passage in the straight to prove himself every bit as good as any of them, with the way he ran down Champion Stakes hero Anmaat most impressive. With just one luckless defeat on his card, Ombudsman has elevated himself to the upper echelons of competition quickly, and looks a big player in races like the Eclipse and Juddmonte International later in the summer. Ombudsman’s success was also providing Gosden with a 70th Royal Ascot winner, and while now 74 himself, he will keep driving on to increase that total. With no signs of any slowing of his mind or body, 100 might not be as improbable as it sounds. Be patient, Thady!