England: O'Brien earns win record as Paddington takes Eclipse Stakes
Paddington gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a record seventh career win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Racecourse near London, also a milestone race for the world-class 3-year-old colt.
Paddington beat older horses for the first time in the Eclipse Stakes in his debut at 1 1/4 miles. Owned by the Coolmore syndicate, Paddington has won three consecutive Group 1 races, including the Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh in May, and the St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Those races were for 3-year-olds at a mile.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, Paddington ($3.20) beat only three rivals in the Eclipse Stakes, and was helped by a perfect trip. Paddington stalked 10-1 West Wind Blows for the first mile before taking the lead in early stretch.
“One thing Ryan said, he was surprised how easy he went through the race and how easy he was doing it,” O’Brien told Sandown publicity.
“He has progressed with every single run. He is a serious horse.”
Emily Upjohn closed from third to post a threat to Paddington through the slight uphill finish, but could get within only a half-length of the winner. Emily Upjohn (7-5) won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Epsom Racecourse last month.
West Wind Blows faded to finish third, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, and was two lengths clear of Dubai Honour, a two-time Group 1 winner in Australia in March and April.
O’Brien surpassed Michael Stoute and Alec Taylor Jr. as the winningest trainer in the history of the Eclipse Stakes, which was first run in 1886. O’Brien won the race for the first time in 2000 with Giant’s Causeway.
Paddington, by Siyouni, has won his last six starts after finishing fifth in his career debut at Ascot last September.
“This is a top-class colt and we’ll enjoy him,” Moore said on British television.
O’Brien said Paddington will be considered for the Group 1 Sussex Stakes, run at a mile with a purse of $1.28 million at Goodwood Racecourse in southern England on Aug. 2. Trainer John Gosden said Emily Upjohn will have a campaign in the second half of the year geared toward the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at 1 1/2 miles at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Oct. 1, Europe’s leading flat race.
The Arc field may include Westover, who won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in Paris on Saturday.
Part of a field of five 4-year-olds, Westover ($3) stalked 29-1 Malabu Drive and then 5-1 Tunnes for nearly a mile before taking the lead more than a quarter-mile from the finish. Ridden by Rob Hornby, Westover led through the stretch, repelling a brief challenge from 3-1 Zagrey with more than a furlong remaining.
Westover won by two lengths over Zagrey, who finished three lengths clear of 5-1 Junko.
The $434,000 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at 1 1/2 miles was Westover’s first win in five starts since the Group 1 Irish Derby in June 2022. Earlier this year, Westover was second to the Japanese star Equinox in the Group 1 Sheema Classic in Dubai in March, and second to Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup last month.
A colt by Frankel, Westover has won 4 of 11 starts for owner and breeder Juddmonte Farms and British-based trainer Ralph Beckett.
Westover was sixth in the 2022 Arc on turf rated very soft that he did not prefer, Beckett said.
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