So You Think triumphant in an awesome Coral-Eclipse

So You Think masters Workforce in front of the packed Sandown Park grandstand.  Image courtesy of racingfotos.com

The ex-Australian star, So You Think, now trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, emerged victorious by half a length after a titanic battle with last year’s Investec Derby and Arc winner, Workforce, in a scintillating Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park this afternoon.

It was a third victory for Aidan O’Brien in the QIPCO British Champions Series, following St Nicholas Abbey’s win in the Investec Coronation Cup and Fame And Glory’s triumph in the Gold Cup, while it was a first Series victory for the winning jockey, Seamie Heffernan.

Workforce’s pacemaker, Confront, cut out the early running, with his stable companion settled in second place and So You Think tracking him in third.

Rounding the bend into the straight, Workforce took up the running with over half a mile to run, with So You Think following his every move. 

Ryan Moore stoked up Workforce over a furlong from home when So You Think and Seamie Heffernan came to challenge and for a few strides it seemed that the favourite might not have the acceleration to go past.  

Once Heffernan asked for maximum effort, however, So You Think responded, surging to the front inside the final furlong to master his rival and delight the punter who put £40,000 on him at 5-4 earlier in the week!

Workforce, who ran a few pounds below his best over this mile and a quarter trip, is now likely to contest the fifth Middle Distance leg of the QIPCO British Champions Series, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) at Ascot over a mile and a half on Saturday 23 July.

One of the likely options for So You Think, meanwhile, is the sixth leg, the Juddmonte International at York over a mile and a quarter on Wednesday 17 August.

For the full Coral-Eclipse Stakes result and quotes from the winning connections, CLICK HERE.