French raider Vadeni seeks Sandown success

French Classic winner, Vadeni, will seek to become the first French-trained horse to win the Coral-Eclipse since 1960, and the eighth in total. Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, Vadeni was supplemented for the race at a cost of £50,000 following his impressive five-length victory in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club.

Vadeni heads a high-class field of six in Sandown’s showdown Group One race. He is joined by Godolphin’s Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Native Trail. He will be ridden by his regular jockey, William Buick who will be hoping for a fourth win in the race. A win would also mark a third for trainer Charlie Appleby, who saddled Hawkbill (2016) and Ghaiyyath (2020) to success.

Sir Michael Stoute can become the winning-most trainer of the race and is represented by Bay Bridge. Ridden by Ryan Moore, Bay Bridge was incredibly impressive at the track in May as he went on to record a five-length victory in Coral Brigadier Gerard Stakes. He had to settle for second place at Royal Ascot when finishing behind globetrotting star, State Of Rest in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

I don’t like the opposition much

William Haggas admitted he feared the three-year-olds as Alenquer bids to give his trainer more Group One success in 2022, saying; “I don’t like the opposition much! It’s a very strong race. It will be interesting because it’s our first look at the older horses versus the three-year-olds.”

“It’s a tough race but he’s a good horse, a very good horse,” Haggas said. “He’s very genuine too – they’ll know they’ve had a race. He’s very well and ready to run.”

Alenquer finished six lengths behind John & Thady Gosden’s Mishriff in last year’s Juddmonte International at York, but will need to rediscover that form if he’s to land the spoils on Saturday. The field is made up with his stablemate, Lord North, who will be hoping for better luck after Dettori failed to remove his hood when exiting the stalls at Royal Ascot.