Sandown Park staged Britain’s best evening race meeting of the season in front of a crowd approaching 5,000.

The main race of a quality night’s racing, the Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes, was won by the 2-5 favourite Ombudsman.

The five-year-old son of Night Of Thunder was beaten into second in this contest one year ago, before he went on to register Group One triumphs later in the season at Royal Ascot and York. He ended 2025 with a rating of 128 in the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings, making him officially the best horse trained in the UK last year.

Ombudsman came into the race having begun the year with victory in the Group One Dubai Turf over nine furlongs at Meydan in March.

The five-year-old tracked the leaders before moving into the lead entering the final furlong. Carrying a 7lb penalty for being a Group One winner, he faced a sustained challenge from Gethin close home but was always on top and prevailed by a neck.

There was a big upset in the longest race of the evening, the two-mile Group Three Star Sports Henry II Stakes, when ten-year-old Dubai Future (28-1) came out on top.

It was a successful night for the colours of Godolphin, who were in the winners’ enclosure three times.

Talk Of New York landed the mile Listed Star Sports Heron Stakes, bolting home by five-and-a-half lengths.

Elsewhere on the night, trainer Richard Hannon bagged a double through Boyfriend and Law Court.

Owner Julie Wood was on hand to welcome Boyfriend into the winners’ enclosure after the five-year-old under Pat Dobbs prevailed by one-and-a-half lengths, and gave Wood the ideal lead up to the Derby where she will be hoping for a big run from outsider Alderman.

Hannon completed a quickfire double after the lightly-raced Law Court took the finale on the card for Al Shaqab Racing with Faleh Bughenaim aboard.

By Peter Moore