French Guineas hero out to give O'Brien share of record

Victory for The Gurkha in today's Coral-Eclipse Stakes would give trainer Aidan O'Brien a sixth win in the Group 1 contest and put him on a par with record-holder Alec Taylor jnr, who was successful on half a dozen occasions between 1909 and 1923.

Unraced at two, the Ballydoyle colt has made significant strides in his four outings this year and, after winning a maiden by nine lengths at Navan on his second start, he ran out an impressive five-and-a-half-length winner of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Deauville. He then came from behind to finish second to Galileo Gold in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

He will be tackling a mile and a quarter for the first time today, despite the fact that O'Brien had indicated after Ascot that the colt would be aimed at the Qatar Sussex Stakes and was unlikely to be stepped up in trip for his next race.