Vadeni wins Coral-Eclipse 2022 for France: Recap and reaction

“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.

A truly classic @Coral-Eclipse 🏇

Watch 𝗩𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶's magnificent performance at @SandownPark through @JockeyCam.

This is incredible footage! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uPQTNtk12n

— Coral (@Coral) July 3, 2022

“I just let him go. That is why I came maybe 50 or 100 yards too early to hit the front but everything was fine.

“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-and-a-quarter horse. In the beginning of the race he doesn’t show too much speed but the way he accelerates and you look at him physically, he really looks like that (a mile and quarter).

“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.”

Trainer Jean Claude-Rouget: “He was very relaxed in the first part of the race and I was a bit unsure through the beginning of the straight. He looked not very well (placed).

“Then after a change of foot, he came easy just outside, then he had a bad step about 80 metres from the post – a little hole maybe – so that cut his action. So, I thought at this moment we could be second. With his courage, he got the win.

“It was very important to win this race for him for his stallion career later on and that is it.

“If you decide to supplement for a race like that, it is my basic instinct. So I was confident but I have 43 years of training in my legs, so I know it is always difficult to win sometimes.

“To win the Eclipse for me, was a real challenge, like Almanzor in the Irish Champion. We won both and I hope this one will win the other race.

“Almanzor had more physical (presence). He was a great champion, too. They are two champions and a bit different.

“The change of foot of this one is great. We saw it in the Prix du Jockey Club, but it is harder to see in the English races, which are going faster.”

Mishriff

Trainer John Gosden: “Great run, delighted with him. Just missed the break. We had wanted to follow Bay Bridge but we just missed it so we wound up down on the rail, but he has run a fabulous race.

“I am thrilled with the way he finished. David (Egan) did everything right, just having missed the break and it was a super run.

“You have three-year-olds getting a lot of weight – never forget the weight they get – it is very handy when you have a three-year-old. And he has split the two three-year-olds, so I am absolutely over the moon with him.

“I think he is fit enough. He is not blowing much but he has run a superb race against two star three-year-olds. Saudi did not go well. He got a whole load of sand down his throat.”

Lord North

Gosden: “I thought Lord North, squeezed on the inside, ran a blinder of a race.”

Native Trail

Trainer Charlie Appleby: “We have got no excuses. They have gone steady and not gone a mad gallop.

“William said he felt he was in the right position and said the horse was comfortable in the race and comfortable over the trip – he saw it out.

“But take nothing away from the winner or the eventual second. It was that strong an event that it was always going to be a tight finish. I don’t think we were ever going to see a horse win by a couple of lengths.

Neck, head, half a length!

A @Coral-Eclipse to saviour 😍#CoralEclipse pic.twitter.com/XLwky17jIo

— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) July 2, 2022

“I posed the question of whether he should come back to a mile. Will said he was comfortable at that and there is no reason why we wouldn’t stay at a mile and quarter. It might just give him a few more options, anyway.

“He saw it out well and is a very straightforward ride in a race. We will consider the Juddmonte International (at York).

“Maybe a flatter, slicker track might suit him more, but I’m not making any excuses. He ran a solid race and more importantly, he has opened up options.

“Hopefully it makes life a little bit simpler with (stablemate) Coroebus. We can keep him at a mile.”

Coral-Eclipse 2022 result

Winning time: 2min 5.20sec

1. Vadeni
2. Mishriff
3. Native Trail
4. Lord North
5. Bay Bridge
6. Alenquer

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