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John Gosden’s awesome foursome Eclipse Stakes wins at Sandown

John Gosden is a four time winner of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes and, despite handing some of the training slack to son Thady, he goes into this year’s race with the favourite Mishriff.

The 2021 Coral-Eclipse (3.35 Sandown) has been condensed down into a bijou field of talented runners, with the Dubai Sheema Classic winning Mishriff at the head of the betting for the Gosdens.

Planet Sport casts an eye over John Gosden's quality quartet of wins in the Surrey showpiece race over the years, taking in such superstars as Enable and Golden Horn.

Nathaniel (2012)

Nathaniel was the sort of quietly classy type that Gosden excelled with and was no slouch, beating the Epsom Derby record holder Workforce in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Heading to Sandown for the 2012 Eclipse in similar good to soft conditions that this year's renewal is likely to be contested on, Nathanial went off at 7/2 under Will Buick in the prestigious Rothschild silks.

The Rothchilds make up a financial dynasty but the banker of the race was the Saeed bin Suroor trained favourite Farhh, carrying the Italian stallion Frankie Dettori.

The young Buick had Nathaniel stalk Godolphin leader City Style, while Dettori held up Farhh at the back of the field. At three furlongs out, Buick kicked Nathaniel into winning contention, while Dettori ploughed through the pack in a classic held-up ride.
Nathanial held on by half a length to hand Gosden his first Eclipse Stakes win but the horse's greatest achievement came at stud, siring wonder-mare Enable and continuing the Gosden story in this historic race.

Golden Horn (2015)

This Gosden god of a horse had a shimmering career, ending in both Epsom Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe glory. Yet, the Eclipse Stakes remains the sort of event that true champions have ticked off and Golden Horn took the 2015 edition in fine style.
After finishing second to Nathaniel in 2012, Dettori made no mistake by getting on the right one with Golden Horn, even negotiating a slow start to put this true leader at the front of the pack.
The Grey Gatsby gamely gave Golden Horn a race but Kevin Ryan's charge, named after the famous novel, was not in the same league and it was Gosden writing a second chapter of wins in the Surrey showpiece.
At one furlong out, Dettori showcased Golden Horn's finishing speed, opening up a three and half-length lead and sorting the wheat from the chaff in terms of true class.
The winning post and Dettori's red, white and black silks became regular snapshots on the racing pages of the papers while Gosden had a second Eclipse to add to his bulging trophy cabinet.

Roaring Lion (2018)

Gosden spent his formative years training in the USA and his knowledge of American bloodlines came in handy with Roaring Lion.
Sired by Secretariat Stakes winning Kitten's Joy, Roaring Lion had pounced on the 2018 Dante Stakes at York, setting up a tilt at the Eclipse.
In opposition was a trio of Ballydoyle runners with Aidan O'Brien's 2000 Guineas winning Saxon Warrior the main threat. However, while Saxon Warrior had the armoury, Roaring Lion had the bite under the up and coming jockey Oisin Murphy.
Saxon Warrior was on the tip of commentator Simon Holt's tongue at two furlongs out but Roaring Lion proved his grit by wearing down his opponent from out wide and battling for a neck victory.
"The lion roars at Sandown" cried Holt as Gosden celebrated a third Eclipse win. He didn't have to wait long for a fourth, via an extra-special horse called Enable.

Enable (2019)

You could reach the moon on a stack of column inches written about the superlative mare Enable, who famously won a pair of Arcs in Paris.
Yet, the Eclipse was always an important part of Enable's racing calendar with Gosden using the 2019 Sandown heat as her seasonal debut after winning the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2018.
Enable had 245 days off after her Churchill Downs success and had O'Brien's Magical out for revenge after heading the Ballydoyle filly in the Breeders' Cup.
Strangely enough, Waldgeist, Enable's eventual vanquisher at Longchamp when attempting a hat-trick Arc win, was also in opposition at Sandown for the 2019 Eclipse, but Andre Fabre's colt could only trail home fifth.
Hunting Horn was meant to be the pacesetter for Ballydoyle stablemate Magical but Dettori merely tracked the front-runner and then eased Enable to a seemingly effortless hands and heels win by three quarters of a length.
Magical was a nice filly herself but spent long periods staring at Enable's mighty backside while Gosden was looking at a fourth Eclipse win.
Mishriff could make it five for Gosden by Saturday afternoon at Sandown.

Fancy Mishriff in the big race at Sandown? Bet on him now with Planet Sport Bet.

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