• REGISTER NOW!! Why? Because you can't do much without having been registered!

    At the moment you have limited access to view all discussions - and most importantly, you haven't joined our community. What are you waiting for? Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join Join Talking Horses here!

The 2025 Eclipse Stakes

Ian_Davies

Conditional
Joined
May 7, 2023
Messages
2,531
Location
Hampshire
There's a case for arguing the biggest danger to Ombudsman is Andrew Cooper and the artificial watering system at the Esher venue, but the weight-for-age (despite two amendments in the time I've followed the game) certainly isn't disadvantageous to 3yos, as results in recent years continue to attest.

Should be a cracker.

Ante-Post Betting: https://www.oddschecker.com/horse-racing/ante-post-racing/flat/coral-eclipse/winner
 
My great grand father Archaius had great respect among my family for being the first for many generations to forsake a life of crime and whoring to become an Ombudsman, consequently I'm finding it hard to see beyond the jolly at the moment.

Copious amounts of water falling on the track - one way or another - might help me change my mind.
 
I did the race this evening. I ended up bumping Ombudsman's figure up a bit after a deeper dig.

But I still worry about it coming too soon after Ascot. I might just leave the race alone or check the w/o the fav market.
 
There must be a chance that Ryan Moore will ride Delacroix and Christophe Soumillon will come over to ride Camille Pissarro.

There is a good meeting at Naas on Saturday, and it would probably suit to leave Lordan at home.

That said, I obviously want Moore on CP. The race is probably as hard as it could possibly have ended up, which is disappointing, but he’ll have his chance.
 
Yes, 12 years ago.

How many have tried since?

I don't know. I'm just asking because I'm wary of the bounce.
Can't fault your arithmetic, Maurice.

Dunno, tbh - I thought I did well researching that isolated fact in this heat. 😂

It might come too quick, but he improved so much from when I actually went racing for once and saw him finish second to Almaqam in the Brigadier that the ground remains my main concern with him.

Definitely quicker at Ascot and if Cooper waters and/or it rains, that changes the complexion of the race for me.
 
17 days after a career best on good to firm. It has to at least be a concern.

Exactly, and makes it a real candidate for the bounce especially considering they went hard in the POW. If memory serves, JG said in the immediate aftermath that the big O had a hard race.
 
QUOTES:

Sheikh Mohammed is without doubt the nicest and easiest owner I've ever trained for, he says 'do what we think is right'. We ran OMBUDSMAN a little tenderly last year, listed, Ryan [Moore] rode him in Deauville, won a Group 3, put him away. He's come back this year and ran a super race in the Brigadier Gerard - I think the winner of that is exceptional - we were giving 3lbs, he got first run, but I think if the ground had been there, he'd have been with us today. But 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, I never get pushed, he'll never be the horse he was unless I had such a patient owner. 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 - John Gosden, joint-trainer.

OMBUDSMAN was impressive. 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. He is a cool horse, a very talented horse. They went a hard gallop. We were drawn one, we always thought they would go a good gallop. We had to ride for a bit of luck and I had to look for a couple of gaps. The horse was good enough to quicken up from it; he quickened up well and won well in the end. He was the unknown quantity in the race. I thought he was impressive, very 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 for sure - William Buick, jockey.
 
I'd sooner back Ombudsman at 7/2 or 4/1 in the Juddmonte against a Field of Gold who'd be a questionable stayer than I would 13/8 on Saturday. I've taken a little flyer on Daryz at York just in case he turns up.
 
Pedant alert - Juddmonte are the sponsor, the name of the race is the International Stakes.

Apologies - blame Maurice, pedantry is obviously virtually contagious! 😂

I could see Field Of Gold going for the Sussex Stakes then the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville.

They might not be in a rush to up him in distance all the time they think there are Group 1 mile races to be farmed.

Returning to the Eclipse, it's Ombudsman all the way for me if it's proper quick ground, but if we end up with ease imo it brings Alamqam, Sosie and Camille Pissarro into it more, possibly White Birch too.
 
Can't fault your arithmetic, Maurice.

Too fkn right.

At primary school they didn't call me Mo Maths for no reason. When it came to the daily session of mental arithmetic only one or two got close. I could add, subtract, multiply, divide and work out square roots quicker than you could recite the Gettysburg address without reading it.
 
I've had a little bet on
White Birch at 66/1 for the arc.
Usually gets soft ground there I think.

Do you think it will stay?

I have one in my back pocket that isn't on anyone's radar at the moment, other than maybe the owners', as I think between dosage and stride pattern it could be a contender but I won't get involved until I see it in the field. I don't know if entries are closed as it isn't among its entries but I'm keeping it in my mind for now.
 
There must be a chance that Ryan Moore will ride Delacroix and Christophe Soumillon will come over to ride Camille Pissarro.

There is a good meeting at Naas on Saturday, and it would probably suit to leave Lordan at home.

That said, I obviously want Moore on CP. The race is probably as hard as it could possibly have ended up, which is disappointing, but he’ll have his chance.

The Betfair price movements are starting to suggest Moore will be on Delacroix.
 
Aidan O'Brien has basically said on Racing TV that he expects Moore to ride Delacroix. He also hinted that Wayne Lordan would stay in Ireland.
 
By the sounds of it, Aiden is leaving his outsider at home. Quick ground could rule out Alquarm. Wonder who'll make the running then ?
A slow pace is the way to get the favourite beat.
 
Well, different people might well answer that in different ways.

Some might say it means nothing as they have no faith in the process, some might wheel out going maps with "Keys" which tell people what the authors of those going maps think it means and some do their own independent research.

I'm not big on discussing exactly what I think it means, tbh, but I thought some might find the numbers interesting so I posted updates.

I'll just say that, right now, in my personal opinion, it's not looking too great for anything that wants cut in the ground.

But that can change - the CoC might water more heavily and/or we might get rain.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top