Juddmonte International 2025

This years renewal of the prestigious Juddmonte International is set to be a good one. Although there are only 6 runners, there's a big competitive mix including 3 rated 125 and over, 2 three year old's and even a 5 year old that could play a key part in how the race may play out. There's a highly impressive Japanese horse (Danon Decile) who comes here in great form beating Calandagan, that was in April but he comes here fresh and could give Japan their first win in this race as they have been close before with Zenno Rob Roy have been here with other class horses before such as Durezza but have all failed to get the win. The closest Japan trained horses have come to winning the Juddmonte is with an Irish horse named Japan who was trained by Aiden O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore so they will want that to change this year.

DELACROIX VS OMBUDSMAN 2

We've been here before with these two in terms of a battle and DELACROIX came out on top last time pretty emphatically by drawing clear near the end of the Eclipse after having a hard time round and then having no space for the final 3 furlongs. Therefore, many would think it'll be even easier for DELACROIX to win here with an easier run round. However, the Eclipse was ran at a glacial pace and that clearly did not suit OMBUDSMAN, the sectional times of the race further back this up as they went very slow for the majority of the race and then was a turn of foot race towards the end.

DELACROIX has never lost at this distance and definitely preferred that turn of foot race at the end of the Eclipse but still deserves massive credit for that effort and not many horses would've won in the position he was in. A key to todays race is that BIRR CASTLE is in to help OMBUDSMAN get the right tempo that he requires, this all but stops the race being ran slowly and injects some pace into the race. This can make DELACROIX's chance that much harder and is a negative if backing him. Despite this though, I think with the age weight allowance and the display he showed last out he should've never got up for 2nd let alone winning the race. I know that DELACROIX won well from the back last time but I wonder if being closer to the pace may actually help in a race like this and I think that could be an interesting angle and not let OMBUDSMAN get everything his way. DELACROIX is also the 3 year old and OMBUDSMAN is 4 now and so I think if either one of them can progress even further it is likely to be DELACROIX. It's such a tough race to call and sure to be a big battle but I have just about sided with DELACROIX.

It's hard to see BIRR CASTLE being involved at the finish being only rated 109 and sole purpose being to set a nice tempo for the race, we've seen upsets before and pacemakers winning such as Qirat in the Sussex Stakes but hard to see lightning strike twice. DARYZ has not lost in 4 starts however, he may want softer ground than what is forecast but don't rule him out as his sire (Sea the Stars) won this very race in 2009.

SEE THE FIRE is the only filly in the race and could find this a tough race against the older boys and was never catching Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales Stakes at Ascot. She has done some nice work at home according to jockey Oisin Murphy but you would feel she'd need to take a big step forward to be winning this hot renewal. She won't mind the track though as this is where she had her 12L win in a group 2, however, this was a fillies only race and so the previous point that she may find the older boys too difficult may prove true.