Why top French raider Vadeni could become a Coral-Eclipse trend-setter

Saturday: 3.35 Sandown
Coral-Eclipse (Group 1) | 1m2f | 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

Hopefully no-one is taking the 62-year span since the last French-trained winner of the Coral-Eclipse as a meaningful trend. Sure, it is statistically improbable given the record French runners have in similar Group 1s in Britain and Ireland. But there is no curse, and therefore punters may discover something more pertinent about Eclipse favourite Vadeni's chances by asking why the gap exists.

It helps to understand that in France, trial races are given added importance and the stress is often on the first word over the second. Trial one, trial two, main target, then a break is a typical cadence for a French campaign, repeated twice or even three times in a season.