Mishriff leads high-powered but short field in Eclipse Stakes

Even a four-horse field can pack a strong punch, as evidenced by the Eclipse Stakes on Saturday at Sandown Park Racecourse in England.

El Drama would be a shock winner of this 1 1/4-mile, early summer fixture, but his three opponents – Mishriff, St. Mark’s Basilica, and Addeybb – are excellent.

Mishriff has a claim on being the world’s best racehorse. In February, racing for the first time in about four months, preparing for the start with co-trainers John and Thady Gosden in wintry England, he shipped to Saudi Arabia and won the Saudi Cup, a one-turn, nine-furlong dirt contest where he cruised past Charlatan a furlong from the finish. Now retired, Charlatan might have been America’s best dirt miler this spring; he would’ve been heavily favored in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 5 at Belmont had he made the race. Charlatan vanquished, Mishriff shipped again for the Sheema Classic, a 1 1/2-mile grass race March 27 in Dubai, where he won by a neck over Chrono Genesis, one of the best horses in Japan and an early contender for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Fair to guess few horses have beaten competition that strong in consecutive starts under such divergent conditions – nine furlongs on dirt, 12 on turf – and Mishriff, for good measure, won the Prix du Jockey Club (the French Derby) last year at age 3. Mishriff’s regular jockey, David Egan, contract rider for owner Prince A A Faisal, has the mount Saturday.

Mishriff’s two 2021 races came on flat, turning courses, but Sandown presents a much different challenge. Races at the Eclipse distance (officially a few yards longer than 1 1/4 miles) go down a long straightaway before the horses encounter a sharp right-handed bend leading to a 3 1/2-furlong homestretch through which they climb for about 300 yards before the course levels.

Addeybb is the only entrant with Sandown experience, having won the Group 2 Sandown Mile way back in April 2018. Addeybb, in fact, has experienced more than most Thoroughbreds. The 7-year-old gelding has shipped to Australia the last two springs and came way with three wins and a second-place finish, all at the Group 1 level. Last fall, racing over a boggy Ascot course, he beat Mishriff and everyone else in the Champion Stakes, Europe’s version of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Addeybb, trained by William Haggas, makes his first start since returning from Australia, and while he’d prefer a softer course than he’s likely getting Saturday, he merits respect.

The Eclipse is a weight-for-age race, and Addeybb and Mishriff give 10 pounds to formidable 3-year-old St. Mark’s Basilica. Based in Ireland with trainer Aidan O’Brien, St. Mark’s Basilica swept through the French classics this spring, winning the one-mile Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, and the 1 5/16-mile Prix du Jockey Club on June 6 at Chantilly. Three-year-olds Roaring Lion, Hawkbill, and Golden Horn have won three of the last six Eclipse renewals, with standout older horses Enable in 2019 and Ghaiyyath in 2020 taking the last two editions. St. Mark’s Basilica is a handy horse with a high-class turn of foot, and Mishriff, giving so much weight, will really need to shine if he’s to win again.

Post time for the Eclipse is 10:35 a.m. Eastern. Watch and wager at DRFBets.com.