The boldness of Coolmore pays off again as their force of nature usurps the Iron Horse

All through the morning and into early afternoon, it felt as though something was about to happen. The stifling heat, the ominous colour of the sky and the warnings on the weather apps indicated Sandown was set to be struck by thunder. It never materialised. On Coral-Eclipse day, the only big bang took place on the track.

Much like the weather, the duel that so thrilled us had been fiendishly difficult to predict, not just its outcome but also its existence. In the discussions and debate that followed Royal Ascot, nobody had forecast Paddington would next be seen here, only 18 days after his striking success in the St James's Palace Stakes. Emily Upjohn was beaten by a rival her connections were never expecting to meet. 

How lucky it was for the rest of us that Paddington's Coolmore owners veered off the conventional path. It was the right call, not just because their horse won, but also because there is nothing conventional about him. In that chunk of time between the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National, Paddington won a Naas handicap. That's not what Ballydoyle superstars tend to do, yet Naas handicap winners also tend not to then collect an Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace and Eclipse. He is a rare beast indeed.