John Gosden thrilled with 'superb race' from Mishriff despite missing break

Another Group 1, another near miss for a John Gosden-trained horse who was arguably further back than ideal, struggled for room at a crucial time and, despite picking up once getting out, did so too late.

Yet the reaction from Gosden could not have been more different than at Ascot 16 days ago when the trainer spoke after Stradivarius's defeat and Frankie Dettori was left feeling the shockwaves.

On a day when he publicly offered his old rider an olive branch, here the champion trainer was at pains to absolve Mishriff's rider David Egan of any blame.

Egan and Mishriff missed the break and ended up three back on the rail – somewhere the jockey admitted post-race is not where you want to be on Sandown's round course. Then, with two furlongs left to run, Egan tried to part the retreating Bay Bridge and the challenging Native Trail, but the gap was not there.

In fairness to Egan, with Lord North to his right and the surging Vadeni to his left, in that moment switching was hardly an option either and it was only once Christophe Soumillon had flown on the French challenger that he was able to move left and swoop down the outside for a fast-finishing second.

Gosden said: "Mishriff missed the break and wound up on the rail and he's run a fabulous race, I'm thrilled with the way he's finished. David did everything right having just missed the break, so it was a super run.

"I think Mishriff was fit enough, he's not blowing too much for that and he's run a superb race against star three-year-olds. The Saudi Cup did not go well, he got a whole load of sand down his throat, they changed the track there and made it heavier. I'm over the moon with the horse and the jockey did absolutely nothing wrong."

Vadeni (green) powers to the front from Mishriff (maroon) and Native Trail (blue)Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Egan too was proud of the race his mount ran, albeit he seemed to concede with a smoother run he may well have won.

"He was under pressure a long way out and when they hit top stride it was at the wrong time," he said. "When we needed the gap it just closed and I had to switch him to the outside and he showed a great turn of foot.

"We wanted to switch him off on his first run of the year, he was going to be fresh, but it doesn't help missing the break a little bit. We were in a lovely rhythm but three back on the fence is not the place you want to be at Sandown, so in the circumstances he's run incredibly. A lot of people may say the best horse finished second."

Gosden has won the Eclipse three times in the last decade, twice with three-year-old colts in Golden Horn and Roaring Lion, and he emphasised the advantage he felt the Classic generation have in the race with the two young challengers finishing first and third.

"You've three-year-olds there getting a lot of weight and he's split the two of them," Gosden said. "I'm over the moon with him and I thought Lord North squeezed through on the inside and ran a blinder of a race."

Charlie Appleby, trainer of third-placed Native Trail, offered no excuses in defeat. He said: "William [Buick] said he sees no reason not to stay at a mile and a quarter. He said he saw it out well and is very straightforward to ride through a race.

"There are no excuses, at the end of the day he was beaten by a better three-year-old and Mishriff's not a bad older horse at all.

"Maybe on a stiffer track when they go a gallop it may suit him. I'm not making any excuses today, he's run a solid race and more importantly he's opened up his options for us, as we know he stays a mile and a quarter."

Read more:

'He was remarkable' - Soumillon lands Coral-Eclipse thriller on France's Vadeni

'He's definitely the best I've had' - Raasel makes it eight wins for Appleby

John Gosden 'over the moon' with Frankie Dettori as he hints at reunion

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