Buick considers Ombudsman to have lost little in Champion Stakes defeat

William Buick was proud of Ombudsman’s achievements this season despite coming off second best to Calandagan in the Qipco Champion Stakes.

A winner at Royal Ascot in June and in York’s International Stakes in August, the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt attempted to come from last to first in the feature race.

He passed all bar the French raider, going down by two and a quarter lengths, and Buick could make no real excuses.

“We had a slightly awkward draw but we had a very good pace to run at and there was Delacroix, Calandagan and then myself keeping tabs on each other,” said the rider.

“The pace was solid throughout, it was always going to be, and it was always going to be between myself and Calandagan and I followed him.

“There was a moment I thought I’d get him, I took the race to him but in the last furlong he pulled away and maybe his stamina kicked in as a King George winner.

“I was very proud of Ombudsman, he ran a super race and he’s a high-class horse.

“He started pretty early, he won the Prince of Wales’s in June and here we are in October. He’s had a long season but I believe he’s staying in training, I hope so.”

John Gosden added: “Obviously he didn’t have the perfect trip as he had to go wide but he’s run an absolute blinder. I’m taking nothing away from the winner.”

A further length and three-quarters away was Ed Walker’s Almaqam, who just got the better of Delacroix in a photo.

Walker said: “Everyone turned up, I’m not sure there’s any hard luck stories and he’s been beaten by two exceptional horses and my guy is another one.

“He’ll have his day, he’s a very good horse but unfortunately we haven’t found the right spot to break his Group One duck.

“It’s been a really frustrating year, it just hasn’t rained at all. I was disappointed in the Gordon Richards but he put that right in the Brigadier Gerard and ever since then it has just been frustrating.

“He’s a big horse, needs plenty of work but it’s hard when you are half-heartedly keeping him on the boil and you just don’t want to keep pounding on joints.

“This was always a target so it was easier to train him for this. Had it been softer I suspect they wouldn’t have all turned up.

“I think he’s back next year as he needs to win a Group One. He’s beaten Ombudsman, Los Angeles, Delacroix but he’s not won one. He’ll get there.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Delacroix was running his final race before he heads to stud, with the trainer saying: “He ran very well, it was just a little bit tough off the bend but he ran a good race.

“It was a bit tough out there, those coming from behind cut him off coming off the bend but he ran well.

“I’d imagine that is it for him now. He’s been a great horse, it was very sporting of the lads to give him the chance to run today, but he ran a good race.”

On board was Christophe Soumillon, who added: “We had a great race. The winner and the second were just behind us the whole way. The pace was on.

“He never really travelled like he did last time, especially when I came in the last turn, I tried to take him out a bit to make him sprint but he never really reacted like he did last time. I don’t know if it’s the ground, we always want to fight for the win in these kinds of races but he couldn’t do it today.”