Constitution River looks the new poster boy for Aidan O'Brien's all-conquering Ballydoyle yard as he stamped his class on Saturday's renewal of the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park.
The son of Wootton Bassett didn't impress everyone when he won the Prix du Jockey Club in workmanlike fashion at Chantilly last time, but he did so from stall 15 and he took his three-year-old record to three from three in Sandown's most glittering prize.
It was a record-extending 10th success in the race for O'Brien, who was winning the race for the fourth consecutive year, while jockey Ryan Moore was winning the Eclipse for the sixth time and he's now just one behind the legendary Lester Piggott in that particular history book.
Constitution River was well backed all week and went off a very strong 8/11 favourite, with Moore happy to restrain him in the early stages as stablemate Flushing Meadows set a furious pace as per his role.
Gethin hit the front with Hawk Mountain two furlongs out, but Moore was happy in behind and as he angled his mount out for racing room it was soon all over.
Constitution River hit the front and went clear by a couple of lengths in the blink of an eye, Donnacha O'Brien's A Boy Named Susie (20/1), ridden cold by Oisin Murphy, the one to come from off the pace and give chase.
There was no chance of Donnacha overhauling his father, though, as Constitution River pulled out more in front and he was a supremely impressive three-length victor at the line.
O'Brien said: "We're delighted. We're over the moon, we always thought the world of him. He's a special horse.
"The Lads will decide [his trip] he's no problem at a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half, I asked Ryan and he said I could put him anywhere and that he's never ridden a better horse.
"He's maturing, he's a big scopey proper physical.
"We felt we hadn't seen the bottom of him, he's classy, pacey, we're delighted."
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Moore added: "We went hard early, a few went forward. It was always the plan to get him into his rhythm. The horses in front came back to him quickly, he got there too early but you can't be waiting up the hill here.
"It's hard to know where he'll end up but he's got an awful lot of ability.
"This horse has a deep pedigree, has done nothing wrong in his whole career and we're learning all the time. I know how good Hawk Mountain is and given how the race panned out he [Constitution River] could be even better.
"He's obviously very good at a mile and a quarter and we'll see what happens after that."
Analysis: River proves his class in style
The question was whether Constitution River deserved his billing after some described his Prix du Jockey Club victory at Chantilly as ‘workmanlike’ despite him overcoming such a dreaded wide stall in 15.
Well, he had the answer alright. Just watch the way he moved through the gears between the two-furlong pole and a furlong out to put the Coral-Eclipse to bed with a burst of class. That’s as good as it has got so far this Flat season.
He was simply too good for this opposition, way too good, and he was treading what is now a well-worn path from the French Derby to Sandown glory after the successes of St Mark’s Basilica and Vadeni before him in recent years.
His trainer is well aware of that formula and after a barren spell of nine years between So You Think’s 2011 Eclipse and the victory of St Mark’s Basilica in 2021, O’Brien has now won five of the last six renewals.
With 10 Eclipse trophies now in the Coolmore museum the records keep on tumbling and more will fall before the season is out. With this his 12th Group 1 win of the year O’Brien’s on track to beat his own world record of 28 and Constitution River will be a big part of that push.
Of course, the questions will keep on coming.
If there was one thing you could criticise this Eclipse with, it was the lack of a world-leading older horse.
Gethin and Saddadd have potential, but they had one Group 1 performance between them going into the Eclipse and no top-level wins, so you can hardly claim this as a significant victory for the Classic generation.
In that respect tougher tests will come. First up looks to be taking on the likes of Ombudsman in the Juddmonte International at York, a clash that will have the Knavesmire sizzling with anticipation come mid-August.
Will Constitution River have to up his game again to beat a horse of Ombudsman’s ilk? Perhaps he will. But he looks to have all the talent in the world and he’ll get 7lb on the weight-for-age scale from the Gosden five-year-old in the Juddmonte, which could tip the scales in his favour.
The bookmakers favour Ombudsman, though, his 11/10 to Constitution River’s 9/4, in the immediate aftermath of the Coral-Eclipse.
Those odds could flip as this performance is digested in the coming weeks.
You can take Aidan’s comments on ITV Racing that ‘Ryan said he’s never ridden a better horse’ with a pinch of salt, as we’re used to such in the moment excitement from the Ballydoyle maestro.
But as far as the class of 2026 is concerned, Constitution River really is the number one.
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