Coral-Eclipse Stakes |
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| Group 1, Sandown Park 15:35 £600,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 1f 209y, Class 1  |
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1 St Mark's Basilica EvsF
2 Addeybb 7/2
3
Mishriff 9/4
4 ran Distances: 3½l, nk, 2¾l
Time: 2m 10.87s (slow by 3.77s)
St Mark’s Basilica is hugely impressive in beating top-class older horses Addeybb and Mishriff in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown Park pic.twitter.com/SCprDOFnSRhttps://t.co/aI1vK0FjQc via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) July 3, 2021
St Mark's Basilica produced his trademark finishing burst to surge clear of his older rivals Addeybb and Mishriff to land the Eclipse and set up a campaign that will revolve around the season's major mile and a quarter races.
The anticipated clash between the leading three-year-old colt of the season and two top-class older horses delivered an outstanding performance from the youngster, as he blew away his opponents in the final furlong. The impressive victor is now 7/1 to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Aidan O'Brien, who was winning the Eclipse for a sixth time, said it was "very special" to see St Mark's Basilica defeat the older horses, having triumphed in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club this season, and pinpointed the Juddmonte International or Irish Champion Stakes as his most likely next start.
Addeybb had made the running with Mishriff for close company, with the latter taking on and passing the front-runner at the bottom of the home straight.
However, despite all his talents, Mishriff did not possess a turn of foot to match St Mark's Basilica and having been bustled up to the heels of the leader, the three-year-old burst clear under Ryan Moore.
"He's a lovely horse, he does everything," O'Brien said. "Every race he's stepped up and stepped up and we feel he's stepped up again. It's always a nervous time [taking on older horses] as he'd won two Classics and they're two proper older horses. For him to do that makes it very special.
"The lads will decide what they want to do but he has options to go to York and Leopardstown and I'd say something like that."
Coral-Eclipse (British Champions Series) (Group 1)
£600,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 1f 209y, Class 1
4 runners
Going: Good to Soft
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (1) St Mark's Basilica 3 8-11 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore EvsF
2 (4) 3½ Addeybb 7 9-7 William Haggas Tom Marquand 7/2
3 (3) nk Mishriff 4 9-7 1 John & Thady Gosden David Egan 9/4
4 (2) 2¾ El Drama 3 8-11 Roger Varian Andrea Atzen i28/1
