As long as he relaxes, ‘Barney’ can Eclipse them all

I have been fortunate to ride some very good horses in my career, but none with the stride pattern of Barney Roy, my mount in this year's G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park.

His stride is huge, and on top of that, he is so powerful.

I can tell you: it is exciting riding a young horse such as Barney Roy. He has only had four starts (and won three of them) and he has a very big future.

His win in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot was outstanding in the circumstances. He did not jump away (from the stalls) all that great, but there was no doubting the way he galloped through the line.

Anybody wondering whether or not he can run a strong mile and a quarter should look at that performance.

Yes, he is still a bit fiery, but he is so inexperienced. He is bound to get better with more racing.

As a ride, he is not push-button, he takes a bit of organising. He is a young horse, learning his trade.

The Eclipse is always a great race to ride in. I won it on Al Kazeem a couple of years back. It was the third of his hat-trick of G1s that year, so it was a special day.

Sandown can be tricky to ride, with its tight turns and very long home straight, which is all uphill. Again, it is a strong field, with the three-year-olds taking on their elders for the first time at the highest level.

It is always interesting. Summing up, I feel the race will be perfect for Barney Roy, and I believe he can win, as long as he relaxes.

It should be ideal for his long, powerful stride.