Mount scales Eclipse heights

Aidan O'Brien and his Group One express rolled into Sandown to secure a 12th top-flight victory of the season as Mount Nelson landed the Coral-Eclipse.

The Ballydoyle team have mopped up in Europe so far this term, and were taking their fourth Eclipse as Johnny Murtagh produced his mount with split-second perfection.

Having initially held up the 7-2 chance, he started to make his move with two furlongs to run and made relentless progress down the outside to get the better of a ding-dong battle with Phoenix Tower by a short head, with Pipedreamer a length down in third.

O'Brien said: "He is a very good horse this fellow. He had a few little problems at three and tore off a shoe at the start of the spring last year and took half of his foot with it.

"The whole team did a great job to get him back and they need to take all the credit. He is an amazing horse to come back and we didn't think he would make it.

"He has run well this season. He got tired first time out at the Curragh in soft ground and has run well in France and in the Queen Anne. He was fifth that day and Seamie (Heffernan) thought he would have been closer with a clear run.

"He has been progressing all of the time and you will see more improvement from him. I wasn't sure whether he had won at the line, but Johnny felt he won a bit cosy.

"We are very lucky to have so many great horses this year and so many special people working for us. To cap it all we also have an unbelievable jockey in Johnny. Every year more and more special people come and join us and it is a privilege to be working with these people."

Murtagh added: "This was his first run at the trip this year but I felt from early in the season that a mile and a quarter would suit him well. I always felt I was going to get there and I was on top in the last 100 yards. The second did not give up but my lad got there."