Vadeni came out just on top of a barnstorming finish to a vintage renewal of the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown last Saturday, and the French-trained colt looks set to be one of the main highlights on Irish Champions Weekend (ICW) now.

The Prix du Jockey Club winner was supplemented for the 10-furlong contest on Saturday at a cost of £50,000 but it proved money well spent as he received a masterful ride from Christophe Soumillon to win from the fast finishing and unlucky Mishriff.

It was yet another major European winner for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget who is approaching 7,000 overall winners, and he confirmed the Irish Champion Stakes was the next target for Vadeni in the winners’ enclosure at Sandown.

“If I decide to supplement a horse like that, it’s my basic instinct, so I was confident,” Rouget reflected. “I have 43 years of training in my legs, so I know it’s always difficult to win.

“Christophe said he had a bad step about 80 metres from the post … so that cut his action. I thought at that moment he could be second, but with his courage he became the winner. It was very important for him to win this race for his stallion career at home.

“To win the Eclipse for me was a real challenge, like when Almanzor won the Irish Champion Stakes. I hope this horse will also win the Irish Champion and that will be his next race. They are two champions.”

All of the six-runner Eclipse field are candidates to run in the Irish Champion Stakes, which will be the highlight race on ICW, however Leopardstown are still seeking a sponsor for the race, after Qipco pulled out before the 2020 renewal.

Bellewstown

Action returned to Bellewstown last weekend and the feature contest of the Meath track’s opening three-day festival stayed local as Anna Bunina scooped the Bar One Racing Bellewstown Handicap Hurdle.

The John McConnell-trained mare has been in terrific form since she took the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr in April and was winning for her delighted owners, originally from Drogheda, now based in New York.