Ombudsman can see off Constitution River in York's race of the year

It will be a big disappointment if the clash of Ombudsman and Constitution River in the Juddmonte International Stakesone fails to live up to the hype

Ombudsman had a career-best effort at Royal Ascot where he won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes for a second successive year. Pic: Healy Racing Photo

Wed, 19 Aug, 2026 - 02:45

Darren Norris

All the ingredients are in place for the Juddmonte International Stakes to be the race of the year. Coolmore v Godolphin. Check. Aidan O’Brien v John and Thady Gosden. Check. A savagely talented Classic-winning three-year-old whose ceiling has yet to be established against a proven older superstar. Check.

And while the Andrew Balding-trained Item, a dual Group 2 winner over course and distance this season, is a talented animal in his own right, it should not be viewed as an insult to the rest of the field to suggest that this York blockbuster is a two-horse race between Constitution River and Ombudsman.

Brilliant duels on paper don’t always turn out that way on grass but it’ll be a big disappointment if this one fails to live up to the hype.

A Boy Named Susie on song at The Curragh

Why? Because Constitution River and Ombudsman are not horses who are occasionally brilliant, they’re consistently so.

Only once in six starts has Constitution River tasted defeat and that was only by a short head on debut at Newmarket as a two-year-old.

An emphatic winner of the Dee Stakes at Chester on his first start at three, the Wootton Bassett colt overcame a poor draw to win the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly before bagging another Group 1 when putting his six rivals to the sword in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown last month.

However, as visually impressive as he has been, he has yet to tackle a rival as brilliant as Ombudsman.

The world’s highest-rated middle-distance horse, Ombudsman has won nine of his 12 career starts, four at the highest level.

The five-year-old son of Night Of Thunder has looked better than ever this year and comes here on the back of a career-best effort at Royal Ascot where he won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes for a second successive year.

Last year, he went to Sandown where he went down by a neck to Delacroix, form he comprehensively reversed at York.

The Gosdens opted against fighting that fight this time round so Ombudsman comes here a fresh horse for his toughest battle yet.

That decision may be vindicated on the Knavesmire, where Ombudsman is narrowly fancied to come out on top in this heavyweight showdown.

Constitution River is getting 7lb on the weight-for-age scale but he has 8lb to find on official ratings and Ombudsman boasts the stronger form.

He can become the first back-to-back winner of this prestigious race since Halling completed the double in 1996.

While winning the Juddmonte will be O’Brien’s main target on Wednesday, he’ll likely have already visited the winner’s enclosure at least once before the main race.

The Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes is a tried and trusted route for establishing the Ballydoyle St Leger pecking order with Milan and Continuous winning both races in 2001 and 2023 respectively.

This year O’Brien runs Derby hero Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard, who only finished a neck behind the Epsom hero when they chased home stablemate Benvenuto Cellini in the Irish Derby.

Ryan Moore partnering Christmas Day means he will almost certainly go off the shorter-priced of the Ballydoyle pair but Pierre Bonnard’s Irish Derby run was a belated big step in the right direction and the fact he gets 5lb from both the Epsom victor and the William Haggas-trained Maltese Cross might tilt the scales in his favour this time.

Derby runner-up Maltese Cross showed a terrific attitude to win the Cygames Grand Prix de Paris last time out and ought to also go close in what is sure to be a hugely informative contest.

Team Ballydoyle can also strike in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes with Haffner fancied to shade the argument with the Paddy Twomey-trained Trean.

A promising second behind Abraham Lincoln on debut at the Curragh in June, the Justify colt got off the mark at Newmarket last month before finding only Dr Rascal too good in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes on his most recent appearance.

In recent emphatic Galway winner Trean, Haffner faces a talented rival but the Ballydoyle colt is fancied to prevail.

On what looks like being a good day for the Irish, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Small Fry can land the Sky Bet Stayers Handicap.

The Harzand gelding is up 4lb for finishing second at Goodwood at the start of this month but a troubled passage perhaps cost him victory there and he may be able to go one place better this time.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap, the first of the five ITV races, looks fiendishly tricky but Toca Madera, who like Small Fry endured bad luck in running at Goodwood last time out, ought to be in the mix.

In comparison to York, Wednesday’s Sligo card makes limited appeal but the second race on the card, the Aidan Moffitt Memorial Handicap Hurdle, presents a decent opportunity for recent Ballinrobe runner-up Fremantle Doctor to shed his maiden tag at the 14th time of asking.

Later in the card, Strong Contender is just that in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle and the Norman Lee-trained five-year-old is fancied to build on his emphatic Wexford win of 12 days ago.

York selections

1.50 Toca Madera

2.25 Haffner (NB)

3.00 Pierre Bonnard

3.35 Ombudsman (Nap)

4.10 Small Fry

Next best

1.50 Corolla Point

2.25 Trean

3.00 Maltese Cross

3.35 Constitution River

4.10 Kirchner