By Tom Frary
Coming back from a break under a penalty, Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) would have been forgiven an honourable defeat in Thursday's G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes but duly showed his class to land the spoils ahead of his big test at Royal Ascot.
Runner-up in this to Almaqam 12 months ago, the John and Thady Gosden-trained triple Group 1 winner was 2-5 to deliver and after a tussle with the progressive Gethin (Ghaiyyath) had a neck to spare at the line. There was another three-length margin back to Almeric (Study Of Man) in third.
“A seven-pound penalty is a lot, so it's a good performance,” William Buick said. “He will improve from today and he got a little bit tired, but he's a real pro now who's been around the block and never gave me a moment's worry.”
John Gosden added, “I was very pleased with him and he came through very easily. He came here 85 per-cent and had that penalty, plus this is the first time he's been on turf since Meydan. He's a very cool customer now and does what he has to do, he is not too flashy anymore. Horses get old and wise like boxers.”
“He's a bigger, stronger horse this year and I am delighted with how he has matured,” he added. “Royal Ascot looks exciting with Daryz coming over. He looks a phenomenal horse and we are looking forward to a proper Prince of Wales's–it could be the race of the meeting and that's what the game's about.”
Three-time Group 1 winner Ombudsman fends off Gethin to land the @StarSports_Bet Brigadier Gerard Stakes 🥇 @Sandownpark pic.twitter.com/dDsD1ZiBoW
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 28, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Ombudsman is the second foal out of Syndicate (Dansili), a full-sister to the G3 Premio Carlo Vittadini winner Runnymede and the dual Listed winner and G2 Celebration Mile runner-up Stipulate. Her second dam is the listed scorer Insinuate (Mr. Prospector), who produced the Group 3 winners Convey (Dansili) and Stronghold by Dansili's sire Danehill. The fourth dam is All At Sea (Riverman), who captured the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and was placed in the Oaks and Juddmonte International.
From the family of the four-times Group 1-winning Twice Over (Observatory), Syndicate's three-year-old filly by Night Of Thunder, Synchronicity, was a 900,000gns purchase by SackvilleDonald at 2024 Tattersalls October Book 1. Labelled a TDN Rising Star on debut, she has since disappointed but retains abundant potential. Syndicate's two-year-old filly Syndicale is by Ten Sovereigns.
Thursday, Sandown, Britain
STAR SPORTS BRIGADIER GERARD STAKES-G3, £95,000, Sandown, 5-28, 4yo/up, 9f 209yT, 2:06.44, gd.
1–OMBUDSMAN (IRE), 135, h, 5, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Syndicate (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Indication (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Insinuate, by Mr. Prospector
(340,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-J Hanly; T-John & Thady Gosden; J-William Buick. £53,875. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-UAE & GSW-Fr, 11-8-3-0, $5,597,891. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gethin (Ire), 128, c, 4, Ghaiyyath (Ire)–Aniseed (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (150,000gns RNA Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Elysian Bloodstock Ltd; T-Owen Burrows. £20,425.
3–Almeric (GB), 128, c, 4, Study Of Man (Ire)–Alvarita (GB), by Selkirk. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £10,222.
Margins: NK, 3, HF. Odds: 0.40, 3.33, 12.00.
Also Ran: Arabian Light (GB), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB), Bedouin Prince (Ire).
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