G1 Coral-Eclipse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Vadeni Poised To Deliver In Eclipse

In the centennial year of The Aga Khan's Studs, the operation's latest flame Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) could present his owner-breeder with a present of particular value in Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse S. While The Aga Khan has won most of Europe's major middle distance prizes, Sandown's much-coveted contest has so far eluded him with Kalanisi (Ire) coming closest in his epic encounter with Giant's Causeway in the millennium edition. With weight-for-age tipping the balance very much in his favour, Jean-Claude Rouget's first runner at the Esher venue is ideally positioned to become the second consecutive G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero to double up here and to provide Christophe Soumillon with a first winner at the track. He also has French pride riding on his back, with a yawning gap back to the last of the country's Eclipse heroes in Javelot (Fr) in 1960.

Marking The Occasion

If Vadeni is to reward his supplementary entry with victory, he will also be bridging a 70-year gap since The Aga Khan III registered the third of his three successes with the brilliant Tulyar. There is a sense that the unorthodox move from connections has been orchestrated due partly to this landmark year but mostly as a result of the colt's raw material. Still a work in progress, we might not have seen the best of the homebred whose relatives include the English Group 1 winner Valixir (Ire) (Trempolino) and the GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Val Royal (Fr) (Royal Academy).

Georges Rimaud, Racing Manager to The Aga Khan, said, “We are celebrating 100 years of the Aga Khan Studs and have a few things planned later in the year. It is an honour to be able to celebrate this and if we have some good winners this year it would be great. It takes a lot of commitment from the owner and I know that His Highness is obviously very pleased with how things are going.”

The Haggas Factor

William Haggas's stable is bursting with good health and has continued to thrive this week and defy the logic that their early-summer purple patch must come to an end. In M M Stables' 4-year-old Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}), the yard have a strong contender in this renewal with his recent record boasting a defeat of the Prince of Wales's hero State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Hardwicke hero Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in The Curragh's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup May 22. Add to that the fact that he was the winner of a vintage renewal of the course-and-distance G3 Sandown Classic Trial last April and showed impressive pace when putting Lord North to the sword in the Feb. 22 G3 Winter Derby and it is clear he is a genuine player here.

Speaking at Sandown on Friday, Maureen Haggas was playing down his chance. “He ran a brilliant race in Ireland, but he likes dig in the ground and a mile and a quarter on soft is the ideal,” she said. “He is an absolute star and is as tough as old boots–he'll give his all, as he always does, but on this ground it is a big ask.” William seemed to be more confident as he said, “He beat a [G1] Derby winner and a Breeders' Cup winner the last time he went to Sandown and he won the Tattersalls Gold Cup, beating a [G1] Cox Plate and [G1] Prince of Wales's winner. Some may think he's an outsider, but I don't–he's a good horse.”

*A Proven Trail***

Even before Charlie Appleby took off, he was saddling the 3-year-old Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) to cause a minor upset as his first runner in the Eclipse in 2016. Hawkbill was fourth two years later as his second representative, while his third was the 2020 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). That is some tally, so the pressure is on last year's champion juvenile and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) to uphold the stable's enviable record. Impressive on his sole visit here when handing a four-length beating to Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on his debut last June, his subsequent tally of three Group 1 wins means that he enters his first battle with the older horses as one the race's most accomplished in that sphere. His stamina has to be taken on trust, however, with Distant Music (Distant View) being the only true middle-distance performer relatively close-up on the dam's side.

Appleby is not entirely convinced he will see out this tough mile and a quarter. “The question mark is the mile and a quarter trip, but you can take a few pieces out of his pedigree which suggest he has a chance of staying,” he said. “At the end of the day, in the Irish Guineas he was doing his best work in the last 200 yards, so we are confident within ourselves he can go the mile and a quarter. More importantly, he is a strong 3-year-old who won't look out of place against his elders.”

Free Pass

At Haydock on Saturday, the G2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks looks a strong contest with George Strawbridge's impressive G2 Park Hill S. winner Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) making her seasonal bow on her first start since that seven-length success at Doncaster's St Leger meeting. John Gosden has won this five times since 2011 and holds the record of eight wins, so it is fair to say he knows what it takes and the exciting homebred 4-year-old has genuine talent. Clarehaven's representatives usually require a run to get up to speed, even if Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) proved the exception to the rule last month, so a win on this reintroduction will augur well for her prospects this term. Last year's G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. winner Eshaada (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) has had a pipe-opener in 2022, while Sunderland Holdings' Sea La Rosa (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) comes into this on the back of success in the course-and-distance G3 Pinnacle S. May 28.

Alert And Ready

While 3-year-old representation in this has been numerically small in recent years and the ones that have been pitched into battle have hardly been the cream of the Classic crop, it is notable that since 2012 all of that age that have tried have not succeeded and most have been soundly beaten. Looking to buck the trend and exploit a generous 12-pound weight-for-age allowance this time are Kirsten Rausing's Oaks fifth Kawida (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) and Ben and Sir Martyn Arbib's June 9 Listed Abingdon S. scorer Stay Alert (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), with the latter sure to appreciate the step up in trip.

“I think it is competitive enough and there is a strong group of older horses,” the latter's trainer Hughie Morrison said. “The exciting thing she showed at Newbury was she had a turn of foot. She can only get better over time and she has had quite a busy year. Whatever she achieves now through the rest of the year is going to be great, but she will be serious next year. Martyn Arbib is not getting any younger and he wants to have a go at the St Leger-we can pretend and dream about it, can't we?”

What Next From Torquator Tasso?

Hamburg's Derby meeting on Saturday sees the second outing in 2022 of Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), with Marcel Weiss hoping that Gestut Auenquelle's reigning Arc hero shows much more of his sparkle in the G2 wettstar.de Grosser Hansa-Preis. A shadow of the performer that turned up at ParisLongchamp in October when sixth behind the re-opposing Alter Adler (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the May 29 G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft, he has some serious ground to cover if he is to return to his pomp.

Hurricane Blows In

As far as the Arc is concerned, Sunday is a big day with the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud attracting a star cast headed by Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Tackling Kirsten Rausing's triple Group 1 winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Ballydoyle's High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Gestut Schlenderhan's Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}), this is no easy second step for Godolphin's Irish Derby, Grand Prix de Paris and St Leger hero.

“There's a bit of rain forecast, so it looks like being on the slower side of good for sure. Any quicker and it might have raised concerns,” Charlie Appleby said on Friday. “He'll have one more prep run before the Arc and whether that will be in Ireland, England or France, we'll make that decision closer to the time.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Derby Hero Adayar Eyes King George

Godolphin homebred Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {Ire}), who won the G1 Cazoo Derby on Saturday, excited the race in good order and will target the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 24. If he completes the double, he would be the first horse to do so since his grandsire Galileo (Ire) in 2001.

Trainer Charlie Appleby said, “He has come out of the race great. As you saw he went on the seawalker yesterday morning and he has been out for a jog this morning and has been turned out in the paddock and he has shown his wellness. All signs are good so far.

“Without rubber stamping anything the discussions that are taking place at the moment are that we will give this horse a bit more time and look towards going to a King George with him. I think timing-wise it suits him and also we will have tested our mettle a bit against the older horses.

“After that we can see what he is like against the older horses there and if he happens to win a King George we can work back from an Arc. If he gets beat in a King George then we revert back to our original plan which was going down the St Leger route.

“I think, personally, looking from the outside having won neither race, I would rather pinpoint one as we all know in the autumn it is a big ask to do a St Leger then an Arc.”

One of Godolphin and Appleby's other Derby runners, third-place finisher and G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. victor Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {Ire}), will return sooner than his stablemate. The June 26 G1 Irish Derby has been pencilled in for the chestnut.

Appleby added, “I was delighted with Hurricane Lane. He was the horse I thought in the paddock looked magnificent and I thought he took the preliminaries very well.

“What did surprise me, but we took it as a positive, is that he is very much learning on the job there. He showed his inexperience. Going into the Derby I thought he was one run short of what I would have liked to seen.

“He came off the bridle a bit earlier than I expected but his class got himself back into a position that he would be in the mix at the right end. I'm delighted with how he has come out of it and the plan with Hurricane Lane is to head straight to Ireland.”

Rounding out the trio of Godolphin Derby starters was G3 Autumn S. winner One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The colt ran sixth on Saturday, and is a possible starter for the 1 1/4-mile G3 Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot on June 17.

He said, “We will drop him back to 10 furlongs. James [Doyle] said he didn't handle the track particularly well but he didn't see it out either. We might look at something like the Hampton Court, we will see what his wellbeing is like.

“He would carry a penalty in that from his G3 Autumn S. success but we could look at something like that or wait for an [G1 Coral-] Eclipse [at Sandown on July 3].”

Plans Revealed For Other Classic Colts
Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who was scratched on the morning of the Blue Riband due to the ground, is also resurfacing in the Hampton Court. He also has an entry in the June 18 G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot, but Shadwell Racing Manager Angus Gold indicated that the Hampton Court was more likely.

Gold said, “It's most likely he'll run in the mile-and-a-quarter race, I would think. There is quite a body of opinion around the horse that thinks he might end up a mile-and-a-quarter horse.

“We weren't sure about the mile and a half going into the Derby. I've noticed his breeder has been quoted twice now, saying she doesn't think he'd stay–and he has got a lot of speed, this horse. Maybe it will turn out a mile and a quarter is his best trip–time will tell.”

Derby runner-up Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will most likely start next in the Irish Derby. The Amo Racing Limited runner has three runner-up performances to show from three starts, and he was only 4 1/2 lengths off of Adayar at Epsom on Saturday.

“He's absolutely fine–and we're looking for the next Derby, I suppose,” trainer Richard Hannon told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Monday morning. “It's not an easy feat, but I'm not sure we've anything to gain by winning a novice or a maiden–and quite often these sort of horses get turned over at long odds-on in those sort of races.

“I think we'll be looking at something like an Irish Derby or a King George, maybe. If you finish in the first three in the English Derby, you get a free go at the Irish Derby, so that's got to be worth looking at.

“We've never had a horse finish that close in a Derby before. They're extremely hard to find, these sort of horses, and you've got to keep hold of them and keep them racing as long as you can. I said to Kia Joorabchian–who owns the horse–before the Derby that next year's his year. He's always looked like a horse that, when he's four, he could be something a little bit different.”

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Dubawi’s Ghaiyyath Takes the Eclipse

Charlie Appleby had relayed loud and clear that Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was now the horse he had been waiting for and Godolphin’s dynamic performer proved the point in style in Sunday’s G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. Casual this time getting to the front after the first half a furlong, the 9-4 second favourite was stalked by Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) with Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) taken back early racing four lengths off his tempo. Tackling the headwind up the straight as Japan chased hard, the G1 Coronation Cup hero had to draw on his significant reserves to plough on uphill to the line as the returning even-money favourite Enable stayed on down the outer. Her progress was a touch laboured, as John Gosden had suggested it might be when declaring her “85%” beforehand, and the leader was ultra-game to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths, with Enable denying Japan the runner’s-up spot by a head.

Jockey William Buick had every fraction right and he said, “He’s got a huge cruising speed and he knows how to use it. It was his first go over a mile and a quarter in a group one and he was in a nice rhythm the whole way. Charlie had him in great shape. We were obviously concerned about Enable coming into the race, but it was her first run of the season and I’m sure she’ll improve from the race.”

Re-setting Newmarket’s Rowley Mile’s mile-and-a-half track record a month previously when leading Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) a merry dance in the Coronation Cup, Ghaiyyath was putting two big efforts back-to-back after his 8 1/2-length success in the Feb. 20 G3 Dubai Millennium at Meydan. That suggested that the 5-year-old had turned a corner from last term, when one of his typically audacious front-running displays tended to be followed by a drop-off the next time. That was the case when his remarkable 14-length win in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden preceded a dive in fortunes in ParisLongchamp’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, but it is widely-held that he went off too fast in testing ground there.

Having not always been comfortable on ground with some bounce, it holds no fears for the imposing bay these days and he was unhurried by William Buick despite not breaking best. It may have taken him a few strides to get into his customary position, but when he got there he was free to do as he pleased with the only other pace angles Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) restrained. Frankie was intent on keeping Enable away from the possibility of a prolonged duel, but when the time came to join pursuit she had a touch less than her customary zip. Japan gave way eventually as Ghaiyyath maintained his momentum and it was clear on the rising ground to the line that Juddmonte’s mare would not be adding another prestige event to her illustrious tally.

“As a horse, you go with what Ghaiyyath wants to do–he’s not a horse who likes to be controlled,” Buick added. “You just sit against him, let him use his huge stride and go when he’s ready. He’s a joy to ride and a very, very good horse. As a five-year-old he’s mature physically and mentally–he’s becoming the finished article. I think a mile and a quarter will be his optimum trip, as he’s very fast. Sometimes when you ride him over a mile and a half you’re always worried the last furlong is going to be a long one, but he keeps going.”

Charlie Appleby, 45 on Sunday, was enjoying the perfect gift and said, “He’s a horse we’ve always held in high regard and we’ve seen the performances he can put up. Obviously he’d been an emphatic winner in France and in Germany and out in Dubai, but I think the Coronation Cup win gained him a lot of fans and support. We were never concerned about dropping him back to the 10 furlongs today. He’s got loads of pace and statistically this track suits front-runners. We had immense respect for Enable, who I felt lost nothing in defeat–it was a great battle up the straight.”

“This year he seems to be taking his races better,” he added. “We toyed with the idea of going for the [G2] Prince of Wales’s Stakes after the Coronation Cup, but we thought we’d give ourselves an extra couple of weeks and we know this track can favour a front runner. The [G1] Juddmonte International at York would be up there. He’s shown his versatility now, winning over 10 and 12 furlongs. You don’t beat Enable having an easy run, so we’ll see where we are over the next week and then decide whether we head to York or whether he needs a bit more time. There’s plenty of racing coming up over the autumn, so I don’t think we need to be making any rash decisions. Our plan was always to work back from another crack at the Arc. If Enable is in it, we’ll just have to take her on again.”

John Gosden was thinking about Ascot in three weeks’ time and a third King George for the runner-up. “I’m delighted with her,” he said. “She ran a gorgeous race. We know Ghaiyyath and as I warned everybody it is a great front-runners track, Sandown. If he gets free on the front, as he is a fabulous horse, you are never going to get to him. We found that out in the Coronation. She has put in a perfect performance and has come with a lovely run. I’m delighted with the way she came there. Frankie said the last half a furlong she just needed it, so he looked after her. It is the perfect platform we were looking for for the King George. We were very happy.”

“She enjoyed it and her zest and desire is there, but trying to get involved with a front-running horse like him was never going to be her deal. I think I did warn everybody about that left, right and centre. She is an older mare now and it has taken a great deal more to get her to this point, but she has run a beautiful race and I couldn’t be more thrilled with her. We knew coming we were 85 per cent and you are not going to beat a front-running horse like that around here. She has run the most perfect race to point towards the King George.”

Ghaiyyath is a son of the dominant G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who has also produced the GI Man o’War S., G3 Kilternan S. and G3 Blue Wind S. winner Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and the listed-placed Sleeping Beauty (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who is in turn the dam of the GIII With Anticipation S. runner-up Irish Territory (Ire) (Declaration of War). From the family of the GI Sword Dancer Invitational hero King’s Drama (Ire) (King’s Theatre {Ire}), Nightime has understandably become something of a legend at the major sales auction houses.

Zhukova was bought by Sheikh Mohammed for 3.7million gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, while the following year’s auction saw Stroud Coleman Bloodstock pay 700,000gns for the Foal Sale’s top-priced full-brother to Ghaiyyath who is now named New Kingdom (Ire). At the Goffs November Foals Sale in November, Nightime’s latest son of Dubawi set a new record when again being knocked down to Godolphin for €1.2million.

Sunday, Sandown, Britain
CORAL-ECLIPSE-G1, £250,000, Sandown, 7-5, 4yo/up, 9f 209yT, 2:04.48, gd.
1–GHAIYYATH (IRE), 129, h, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Nightime (Ire) (G1SW-Ire, $299,507), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Caumshinaun (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Ridge Pool (Ire), by Bluebird
(€1,100,000 Wlg ’15 GOFNOV). O-Godolphin; B-Springbank Way Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £141,775. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Ger at 11-14, G1SW-Ger, MGSW & G1SP-Fr, GSW-UAE, 11-8-0-2, $762,840. *1/2 to Zhukova (IRE) (Fastnet Rock (AUS)), Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 9.5-11f, GISW-USA & MGSW-Ire, $499,594; and Sleeping Beauty (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Enable (GB), 126, m, 6, Nathaniel (Ire)–Concentric (GB), by Sadler’s Wells. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden. £53,750.
3–Japan (GB), 129, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Shastye (Ire), by Danehill. (1,300,000gns Ylg ’17 TATOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Masaaki Matsushima; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-Aidan O’Brien. £26,900.
Margins: 2 1/4, HD, 1HF. Odds: 2.25, 1.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Magic Wand (Ire), Deirdre (Jpn), Regal Reality (GB), Bangkok (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Enable Faces Six In Eclipse Return

Racing’s star mare Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) will make her keenly-anticipated 6-year-old debut against six rivals in Sunday’s G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. Her G1 Prince of Wales’s S.-winning stablemate Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was not declared by John Gosden, but the field is still strong with Godolphin’s impressive G1 Coronation Cup hero Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Ballydoyle’s G1 Juddmonte International winner Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) engaged, with the latter set to carry the colours of his part-owner Masaaki Matsushima. Restricted this year as a 4-year-olds and up race, the 10-furlong contest also features the G1 Nassau S. heroine Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) to add more Japanese interest and the similarly high-class mare Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

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