Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course at Sandown for 30 years, shares his memories of past runnings of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes ahead of Satruday’s 49th edition
A major milestone in the British racing calendar is reached on Saturday with the running of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
It will be the 49th edition under Coral sponsorship of the race which is the first Group 1 opportunity for three-year-olds to take on their elders at distances beyond a mile to be run in Britain.
It has consistently attracted some of the biggest stars on four legs, including this year with the inclusion of brilliant Derby winner City Of Troy, during the 30 years that Andrew Cooper has been Sandown clerk of the course.
Here he picks out, in chronological order, his five most memorable Eclipses.
1 Giant’s Causeway (2000)
Giant’s Causeway was ridden by George Duffield and Pat Eddery was on Kalanasi. It was what was to become a typical performance by Giant’s Causeway, the Iron Horse, Pat looked to have timed his challenge to perfection on Kalanisi but the big chestnut battled back on the inner to beat him. You want the race to have a top quality three-year-old taking on a top quality older horse and there was next to nothing between them at the finish. He was awesome that year. He was the first of Aidan O’Brien’s seven Eclipse winners so it was the start of an era.
2 Notnowcato (2007)
As a clerk it can be frustrating to have a perceived or real advantage between one side of the course over the other. At this meeting it was easy ground and all day on the Friday the horses had come up on the hedge (stands) side. We opened a mile of fresh ground on Saturday and all the early races prior had stayed on the far side, including rides Ryan Moore was on. So he kept it up his sleeve for the big one to come over to the near side on his own and land his first Eclipse. It was an inspired and brilliant piece of riding. He beat the likes of the Derby winner Authorized and George Washington having their own battle on the far side.
3 Sea The Stars (2009)
It had been a fallow period for Derby winners in the Eclipse. We had gone 20 years without a Derby winner landing the race. Sea The Stars was a horse you became emotionally attached to. Sea The Stars had been an almost effortless, comfortable Derby winner. He was being lined up for the Irish Derby but the ground turned soft and he was rerouted to Sandown. We had an unexpected 16mm of rain on Friday night but the track took it well. With that anxiety over we had a great race. Rip Van Winkle looked a big threat at the furlong pole but Sea The Stars just did what he did, moved into another gear. He was a brilliant horse.
4 Enable (2019)
This was her first run of the season as a five-year-old. She had won the Oaks, Irish Oaks, King George, Yorkshire Oaks and Arc at three. She had an abbreviated campaign as a four-year-old, winning a second Arc and the Breeders’ Cup Turf. But she came back in the Eclipse where she beat Magical, two older fillies battling it out. It was a rare run at 1m2f. Frankie dictated matters in front and she stayed on well. She was a great racemare and it’s great to have her on the list of winners.
5 Vadeni (2022)
He was the first French winner of the race since 1960. The Eclipse had dropped off the French trainers’ radar. He wasn’t an original entry. He had won the French Derby and he was so fit and well at home the Jean-Claude Rouget and the Aga Khan decided another run would do him good and he was supplemented. I remember the excitement of getting French interest of a high standard back into the race. It was an exciting finish and he held on to win from Mishriff, Native Trail and Lord North.
