Total Eclipse for classy Kazeem

Al Kazeem landed his third Group One success of the season when digging deep to claim the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

As at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the Roger Charlton-trained five-year-old entered the business end of the race with the front-running Mukhadram as the one to catch, and again the pair settled down to fight it out.

It appeared Al Kazeem had got on top when they came close together, with Paul Hanagan squeezed up on Mukhadram as he was eventually passed for second by Declaration Of War.

Al Kazeem ran on strongly in the closing stages, holding Declaration Of War by two lengths as the 15-8 favourite.

Winning rider James Doyle said: ``I'm very lucky to be sat on his back, he's a good horse and he's proved that today.

“I was kind of hemmed in and when the split came I had to take it but I ended up getting there sooner than I wanted.

“He just had a look close home, it’s typical Sandown, he just rolled to the rail and that’s all he’s done.

“I had my stick in my right hand and when he got there he just pricked his ears and rolled in a bit.

“He won pretty well. It’s a fantastic feeling, brilliant.”