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Derby winner Golden Horn confirmed his rating as the best of his generation when he beat his older rivals in the G1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.
Golden Horn was sent to the front by Frankie Dettori, who dictated the pace before repelling a sustained challenge from G1 winner The Grey Gatsby to draw away and win by three and a half lengths.
The Grey Gatsby, a nose second in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out, finished 4/5 length ahead of Golden Horn's stablemate Western Hymn in the five-horse field.Golden Horn, a son of Cape Cross, won his only start at two, reappearing with a win in the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket in April. He then won his Derby trial with ease, taking the G2 Dante Stakes by almost three lengths before storming to victory in the Derby at Epsom last month.
Cape Cross, also sire of fellow Derby and Eclipse winner Sea The Stars, has sired 17 individual black type performers so far this year, including German Guineas winner Karpino and recent Group winner Convergence.Trained by John Gosden, Golden Horn could next start in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Bred by Anthony Oppenheimer’s Hascombe and Valiant Studs, Golden Horn is out of the unracd Dubai Destination mare Fleche d’Or, herself a half-sister to the G1 winnr and stakes producer Rebecca Sharp.Flech D’Or is also the dam of G2-placed stakes winner Eastern Belle, by Champs Elysees.