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Ryan Moore's World Pool Blog: Eclipse Stakes

There is little between two runners as Ryan Moore gives his thoughts on the Eclipse Stakes.

Ryan Moore on the Eclipse Stake
Ryan Moore on the Eclipse Stake Picture: The Hong Kong Jockey Club

 Sandown | Race 4: G1 Eclipse Stakes

The Eclipse is a hugely important race with a lot of history. It's been won by some of the greats over the years and is often a stallion-making race, so it means a lot.

It's a shame that there are only six runners this year, as it truly is one of the biggest races of the entire season, particularly as it's the first time the Classic generation clash with older horses.

It's been very dry and hot in the UK, which has meant some of the intended runners are going to wait for their preferred conditions, which is a shame.

Still, out of the six horses lining up, five of them are Group 1 winners, so it's a high-class field.

The only horse who is yet to win at the top level is mine, DELACROIX.

We're hoping he can bounce back from the Derby at Epsom, where he was only ninth, but everything went wrong for him. I'd say the track probably didn't suit and the 2400m was just too far.

He had good form as a two-year-old – Hotazhell narrowly beat him in a photo in the Futurity Trophy – and this season he was very good over this trip on his two starts before the Derby, so we're hoping he can bounce back.

Camille Pissarro has had three runs this year, winning the French Derby at Chantilly last time out.

That was his first run over this distance and was on good ground too, while Sandown is similar to Chantilly in that it's right-handed with one turn and has a slight uphill finish, so he should be fine with all of that.

There's nothing between him and Delacroix, just a pound on official ratings.

Christophe [Soumillon] knows Camille well having won the Lagardere on him last year and was third on him in the French Guineas behind Henri Matisse. It therefore made sense for Christophe to be on him.

I've ridden Ombudsman twice, winning on him in France last year and then on his first start back this year when he was second in the Brigadier Gerard over this course and distance.

He carried a penalty that day and was in need of his first run, so I thought he ran well despite not winning.

He put up a massive performance to win the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. We went hard in front and might have set it up for him a bit that day, but he was still very good.

The only slight negative with him is that it's a quick turnaround from Ascot, but he's a good way ahead of the field on all known form and is the one to beat.

Sosie has won two Group 1s already this year and is trained by Andre Fabre, so has to be respected. He looks like a horse that gets this trip really well and Fabre nominated this race for him fairly early on in the year.

He was also fourth in the Arc last year, so looks a very solid contender.

Ruling Court is probably the forgotten horse. He won the Guineas and didn't run badly in the St James's Palace to finish third, while he won at Sandown as a two-year-old.

This could still be his ideal trip and he remains unexposed.


Racing and Sports

Sandown Park

Saturday, 05th July 2025

4
ET

Coral-Eclipse (Group 1) (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 125lbs Type: OPEN
1 ¼ m TURF GOOD FIRM
4

(local)
GBP £1,000,000
1 ¼ m GOOD FIRM

Coral-Eclipse (Group 1) (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 125lbs Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 4. DELACROIX (IRE) 3yo C
DUBAWI (IRE) - TEPIN (USA)
RYAN MOORE
AIDAN O'BRIEN
$4
125lbs
D.SMITH/ J.MAGNIER/M.TABOR
2nd 1. OMBUDSMAN (IRE) 4yo H
NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) - SYNDICATE (GB)
WILLIAM BUICK
JOHN & THADY GOSDEN
$2.5
135lbs
GODOLPHIN

Sales Information

3rd 6. RULING COURT (USA) 3yo C
JUSTIFY (USA) - INCHARGEOFME (GB)
OISIN MURPHY
C APPLEBY
$5
125lbs
GODOLPHIN

Sales Information

4th 3. CAMILLE PISSARRO (IRE) 3yo C
WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) - ENTREAT (GB)
C SOUMILLON
AIDAN O'BRIEN
$15
125lbs

Sales Information

5th 5. HOTAZHELL (GB) 3yo C
TOO DARN HOT (GB) - AZENZAR (GB)
SHANE FOLEY
MRS J HARRINGTON
$26
125lbs

Sales Information

6th 2. SOSIE (IRE) 4yo H
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - SOSIA (GER)
MAXIME GUYON
ANDRE FABRE
$6.5
135lbs