Vadeni shines to take Coral Eclipse
Vadeni provided France with a rare Coral-eclipse winner at Sandown in a thrilling finish yesterdaywhich saw the younger generation prevail, writes SIMON MILHAM.
The French Derby winner was a first Sandown runner for French training great Jean-claude Rouget and a first UK winner for his owner the Aga Khan since Harzand claimed the Derby in 2016.
Alenquer attempted to make all but soon looked a sitting duck as Bay Bridge cruised up only to flatten out.
Native Trail and Lord North then made their bids for glory, but Christophe Soumillon produced Vadeni (11-4) with a perfectlytimed challenge to seize the lead.
Mishriff, who endured a slightly unlucky run, flew home in the final half-furlong under David Egan, but was beaten just a neck.
Soumillon said: “I waited in the last position but the pace was just fine. We didn’t go really fast, but for my horse everything was perfect.
“He was really relaxed. He changed legs perfectly everywhere I wanted and when I came out of the turn, the pace picked up and for like 50 or 100 yards he was a bit off the bridle, so I had to give him a chance.
“When he just went up that small uphill at the two-furlong maker, he just took me on the bridle and changed legs. That was at the point where I was thinking may I wait a bit more and I saw Mishriff on my inside completely stopped and I said: ‘I am not going to wait’. He is going to go through the horse to let my horse go.
“Unfortunately maybe 100 or 80 yards from the line, he stumbled and he lost balance for a few strides, and I had a neck in front of William (Buick on Native Trail) and I felt the horse come too on the outside, so I was like: ‘please, don’t give up, keep going’.
“Even if it is tough track, he gives you a gear like champions can give you.
“For me, he is a pure mile-anda-quarter horse. .
“With horses, you never know. We will see how he goes next – probably for the Irish Champion Stakes – and from there we will see. He is a really special horse.”