It was hoped the rivals could meet in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown a week on Saturday but the Juddmonte International winner has been ruled out of the trip
The highly anticipated third racecourse clash between Godolphin’s Ombudsman and Ballydoyle’s Delacroix at Leopardstown a week on Saturday is OFF.
The star pair fought out two memorable duels during the summer with Delacroix defeating Ombudsman in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July and Ombudsman turning the tables in the Juddmonte International at York in August. Organisers of Irish Champions Weekend had hoped to stage part three of their rivalry in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, scene of many memorable showdowns over the years.
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Delacroix’s trainer Aidan O’Brien was keen to have another crack at the John and Thady Gosden-trained Ombudsman, dismissing their York match in which Godolphin added a pacemaker who streaked into a massive lead before tiring, as “a bit of a non-event”, and was preparing his own strategy for the race.
“We had it in our head that what did happen at York could happen and we were going to follow the pacemaker, but when the Japanese horse (Danon Decile) got in front it kind of changed the whole race,” he said on Monday.
“We’ve always thought he was a good horse and the ground doesn’t matter to him. He’s very happy on quick ground and he seems very happy with an ease in the ground as well, so I don’t think it matters.
“Hopefully (Ombudsman) will come. Sheikh Mohammed (owner) is probably the greatest sportsman we’ve ever seen, so I know our men will be delighted. We’d love him to come and then it will be a proper race.
“We’ll try to run a pacemaker if John doesn’t run a pacemaker and we’ll make it very straightforward. The pacemaker will go on and Delacroix can follow him and Ombudsman can follow Delacroix if he wants!
“We’ll let them turn into the straight and see what happens, it’s very simple really. For the race and for everybody we want it to happen – win, lose or draw we’ll be delighted.”
On Wednesday John Gosden scuppered any chance of another showdown this month, telling the Racing Post: “Ombudsman has been in full training since February and has raced in May, June, July and August.
“In June, at Royal Ascot, he showed extraordinary acceleration to win easily off a very fast pace. At York, in the Juddmonte International, the pacemaker was completely ignored and a steady pace was set by the Japanese jockey.
“Once again, Ombudsman displayed a phenomenal turn of foot in the last furlong to win by three and half lengths. He will now be freshened up for an autumn campaign targeting the Champion Stakes at Ascot, the Breeders’ Cup and the Japan Cup.”
Ombudsman had been the 6-4 favourite for the Irish Champion Stakes which Gosden has won four times.
The trainer added: “Obviously, it would not be in the best interests of Ombudsman to race in September nor would the horse appreciate running against multiple entries from one stable on a track with a short straight.”