How good is Constitution River? The exciting news from the July 4 Eclipse Stakes (G1) is that we still don't know, but he was certainly good enough to overcome a bit of midrace adversity and deliver an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in the contest for his trainer Aidan O'Brien.
The difficult moment, for anyone who believed in this fine-looking colt and expressed that faith by backing him at 8-11, came at the top of Sandown Park's long straight. Constitution River was in a share of fourth place and with no immediate means of improving that position, being on the rail with horses on his outer and stablemate Hawk Mountain right ahead.
Gethin, who had been well supported into 4-1, was looming up behind the pacemaking Flushing Meadows. King's Gambit, in the same colors, was tracking him. The final act was developing and there seemed a risk Constitution River would be unable to say any lines.
But Constitution River is the horse they couldn't trap. As King's Gambit struggled to keep up, Ryan Moore took back a little and switched across behind Gethin. In the time it took to draw breath, the favorite had cruised alongside his rival, and it was all over bar the shouting.
Three lengths was the winning margin, but a gulf appeared to separate one horse's ability from the rest. "He was a little bit idle," Moore said. It seems likely that Constitution River will be equal to much sterner tasks than this.
O'Brien told everyone: "Ryan said he doesn't think he's ever ridden a better horse," then wondered aloud if Moore had meant that for his ears only.
O'Brien described himself as "over the moon" with his 10th Eclipse winner. "He's heavier today than he's ever been, and Ryan said he had to move a little bit earlier today than he wanted. He's maturing, he's big, scopey, proper physical.
"Everything he's done has been so special all the way. We felt that we'd never seen the bottom of him. He's thriving, improving, loves racing, classy, pacey ... we're delighted."
"A little rest now," was O'Brien's response to questions about running plans, but "little" might be the word because York's International Stakes (G1) next month, which would bring a clash with Ombudsman, is still a live possibility. "We'll see how he comes out of this," the trainer said.
A Boy Named Susie delighted Donnacha O'Brien by keeping on bravely to take second from Hawk Mountain by a neck. There was a gap of almost 5 lengths back to the runners not trained by members of the O'Brien family.
Saddadd finished a respectable fourth, not really building on his very encouraging start to the season. Gethin faded into fifth, for which trainer Owen Burrows could offer no explanation when the stewards asked.
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