Hawkbill gets better of The Gurkha in thrilling Coral-Eclipse

Hawkbill gave Godolphin their first win in the Coral-Eclipse since 2004 when coming out on top in a thrilling finish to the Sandown Group One.

The 6-1 chance was supplemented for the Esher showpiece on Monday at a cost of £30,000 after victory in the Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot and travelled sweetly for William Buick just behind the leaders.

Taking it up well over a furlong out, Hawkbill was joined by Aidan O’Brien’s odds-on favourite The Gurkha and the pair of three-year-olds produced a tremendous battle to the line, with Charlie Appleby’s colt prevailing by half a length. Time Test was far from disgraced in third.

Buick, on his last day in the saddle before starting a 30-day riding ban imposed by the stewards in France following the French Oaks, said: “What a lovely horse and what a call by the whole team to supplement the horse. It’s absolutely fantastic for the team.

“Winning these big races is very important but very hard to do and this horse has come at an important time for me.

“It’s massive to win this race, we’ll let the dust settle but he is a very good horse and the future is bright. His demeanour has changed a lot this year – with every run he has grown up, mentally and physically.

“I’m a little bit speechless to be honest with you, it means a lot.”

Appleby said: “After Ascot we let the horse come out and saw how he’d done, he’d thrived and came out of the race so well.

“We got together and felt we should be looking at this type of race. We let the horse have a quiet week and were delighted with what we saw (when working) last Saturday.”

John Ferguson, Godolphin racing manager and chief executive, said: "It's a big day and a great team effort. Sheikh Mohammed was very keen that we supplement this horse and I'm delighted for him. He's back in Dubai watching, we've already spoken to him and he's thrilled.

“Everybody plays such a huge role in making these things happen, so when it does happen it’s really special.

“These are huge events to win, for Godolphin and any other owners.

“He’s a horse that has improved and improved and the sky is the limit for him.”

He added: “I think it’s going to be a really enjoyable time now thinking where to go, hopefully his Highness will be back for the July Meeting (at Newmarket) and we can all sit down and have a think about where we go next.

“There’s no hurry and the horse has a great future in front of him.”

O’Brien felt The Gurkha might have found the 10-furlong trip a step too far in the rain-softened ground.

He said: “We always viewed him as a miler and because he did so well after Ascot (second in St James’s Palace Stakes) we thought we’d take in this race on the way to the Sussex (at Goodwood).

“He travelled very well today, I’m not sure but maybe his stamina just ran out a little bit in the soft ground. He handles the ground, but maybe when a horse is that pacey it can get them.

“It was a little bit messy off the bend, things didn’t go exactly as you would want but he ran very well.

“The plan after Ascot was to go straight to the Sussex but because he’d done so well we thought another run in between might work. I think we’ll be looking at that (Sussex) but we’ll see how he is.”