Four Eclipse Stakes in a row. Aidan O'Brien has trained the winner of Britain's most prestigious summer middle-distance race every year since 2023 — Paddington, City of Troy, Delacroix, and now Constitution River. No trainer in the race's 140-year history had achieved that sequence.
Who Is Constitution River?
Constitution River is a three-year-old colt who won the Dee Stakes at Chester and the French Derby at Chantilly before Saturday's Eclipse. He was bred for exactly this kind of campaign — a horse with the tactical speed to handle Sandown's unique demands and the stamina to see out the mile and a quarter with authority even when briefly checked on the rail.
Ryan Moore, who was aboard for every stage of the campaign, gave his verdict after the race: the horse can go wherever O'Brien wants. That assessment from the rider who knows him best sets the stage for the rest of the summer.
The Juddmonte International — The Most Likely Next Target
York's Juddmonte International in August is Europe's most valuable middle-distance race and the natural next step for Constitution River. It would also produce the rematch with Ombudsman — who finished fourth in Saturday's Eclipse having won the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot — that the market and the racing public both want.
O'Brien's response to questions about running plans was measured: a little rest now, with the Juddmonte as a live possibility. For a horse who has run three times in six weeks across three countries, a break before York makes sense both physically and tactically.
The Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc
The Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October are the autumn targets that await if Constitution River continues to develop. Both races would bring him back against Ombudsman and potentially against international competition at the highest level.
For Punters
Constitution River's odds will now be short across every remaining target on his summer programme. The value, as with any dominant horse, shifts to the horses who ran against him and can be reassessed. A Boy Named Susie, who finished a strong second, has form credentials that are now vindicated — watch for his next entry. Gethin, who was well backed at 4/1 and finished fourth, ran his race and remains competitive at this level.
Horse Racing Oracle AI will be tracking Constitution River's programme through the summer, publishing free daily tips at 11am every morning at horseracingoracleai.com.
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