History on the cards as Masar bids for Derby and Coral-Eclipse double

Sea The Stars (2009)

Not all great careers begin with a flourishing debut win. Sea The Stars could only finish fourth in a Curragh maiden on his first start. Two subsequent successes as a two-year-old, including the Group 2 Beresford Stakes, served to highlight his immense promise.

As a three-year-old that promise was fulfilled – and in some style. The John Oxx-trained charge began by turning over 3/1 favourite Delegate to land the 2,000 Guineas. That was swiftly followed up by a 1¾l success over Aidan O’Brien pair Fame And Glory and Rip Van Winkle in the Derby.

The latter of O’Brien’s duo renewed rivalries with Sea The Stars in the Coral-Eclipse a month later but was once again left chewing dust. The Irish-bred raider repelled the advances of his foe late on to land the Sandown renewal and achieve the Eclipse-Derby double.

Victories in the Juddmonte International, Irish Champions Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe would later secure the half-brother to Galileo’s place in history.

Golden Horn (2015)

You wait 21 years for the double and then two come along in seven years. Like Sea The Stars and Nashwan, Golden Horn excelled as a three-year-old.

He kicked things off with back-to-back successes in the Feilden Stakes and Dante Stakes at York. That set up a crack at the Epsom Derby where he edged rival Jack Hobbs by a comfortable 3½l, despite drifting left in the closing stages.

The mount of Frankie Dettori then made mincemeat of a five-runner Coral-Eclipse before being stung by Arabian Queen in the Juddmonte. Two more wins followed in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc before a final race defeat to future Arc winner Found in the Breeders’ Cup brought the career of John Gosden’s star to a close. His first yearlings will be conceived later this year.

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