Ombudsman turned in a memorable Group 1 debut Wednesday at Royal Ascot, overcoming serious homestretch traffic to win the Prince of Wales’s Stakes by two lengths. Anmaat ran well to nab second, 2 1/2 lengths clear of the 4-year-old filly See the Fire. Los Angeles, favored at a surprisingly short 4-5 in the World Pool, probably got too much of what appeared to be a fast tempo, finishing fifth after chasing his stablemate and pacemaker Continuous for the first eight furlongs of the 1 1/4-mile Prince of Wales. The pace aided Ombudsman, who broke from the rail under William Buick and raced at the rear of an eight-horse field while saving ground. Buick turned into the home straight absolutely full of horse, but three times he tried to punch Ombudsman through a gap and could find no opening. Anmaat’s closing presence foiled Buick’s first attempt to get outside, but after Anmaat pushed forward, Buick managed to steer Ombudsman between him and a fading Facteur Cheval. Once clear with a furlong left to race, Ombudsman delivered an electric turn of foot to win going away. John and Thady Gosden train Ombudsman for Godolphin, and the Gosdens have brought the 4-year-old along patiently and effectively. Ombudsman debuted as a summer 3-year-old and won all four of his starts during 2024, ending his campaign with a Group 3 tally in France. Ombudsman took his first defeat in his 4-year-old debut, but his second-place finish May 29 in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard set him up perfectly for Wednesday’s dynamic performance. :: Royal Ascot 2025: Get PPs, previews, analysis, recaps, and more Ombudsman likely starts next in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes on July 5, held, like the Brigadier Gerard, at Sandown Park. Buick, for now, views Ombudsman more as a fast 1 1/4-mile horse than a 1 1/2-mile runner, and the Eclipse is a major 1 1/4-mile contest. The Prince of Wales's Stakes was a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup Turf as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.  Ombudsman, who paid $16.80, is by Night of Thunder out of Syndicate, by Dansili. In the race immediately preceding the Prince of Wales, the Gosdens sent Crimson Advocate out to defeat odds-on favorite Cinderella’s Dream in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes.  Crimson Advocate, who campaigns for Wathnan Racing, won the Queen Mary Stakes on the same Royal Ascot card in 2023 while trained in America by George Weaver. Wathnan purchased the filly after her Ascot success but kept her with Weaver early in 2024 before Crimson Advocate returned to England, joined the Gosdens’ yard, and finished 15th in the King Charles III stakes last summer at Royal Ascot. Crimson Advocate didn’t race again until March 29, and when she returned to action, the Gosdens had decided to abandon sprints and make the filly into a miler. They used two listed races this spring to get Crimson Advocate to a peak, and in the one-mile Duke of Cambridge she rallied from last in upper stretch to first, kicking past her pacesetting stablemate Running Lion and out-finishing Cinderella’s Dream to win by 1 3/4 lengths. James McDonald, mainly based in Hong Kong and Australia, picked up the mount on Crimson Advocate, who paid $15.50 in the World Pool. The filly is by Nyquist out of Citizen Advocate, by Proud Citizen. Weaver had a runner on the card, but 2-year-old Tough Critic failed to land a blow in the Windsor Castle Stakes, finishing 11th. The other American 2-year-old running Wednesday, Lennilu, fared much better, finishing third in the 22-runner Group 2 Queen Mary over a straight five furlongs. The Patrick Biancone-trained Lennilu, Luis Saez up, raced prominently from the start and stayed on solidly while no match for victorious True Love. The Aidan O’Brien-trained favorite came bounding out of a seven-horse pack in the final furlong and drew away to win by 1 1/4 lengths over 52-1 shot Flowerhead. True Love, who won for the first time while making her third start, is by No Nay Never out of Alluringly, by Fastnet Rock. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.