He is 50 years old. Mick Kinane, speaking at the post-Derby conference at Epsom, said that there is not a lot of time left in his clock. I have heard reports that jockey Kinane is contemplating retirement. Kinane is tight-lipped when the subject is raised. I believe that retirement for Kinane is not imminent and why should it be? He has won two British Classics this year with Sea The Stars. He made it three Group I wins in a row with the John Oxx trainee when annexing the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on Saturday.

There was a sharp downpour in the area before the races but it had no impact on the state of the going. The going was called good and good to firm in places. The sun was out. Sandown is close to the Esher rail station. On the same rail line is Wimbledon where the ladies’ singles final was being played on the sun-drenched centre court. Venus Williams, the odds on favorite, was given a sound thrashing by her sister, Serena Williams. It was becoming clear that Serena had the match in the bag as I switched channels to watch the Eclipse. It was 9 10 AM in Chicago on Saturday and Eclipse post time was 3:15 PM.

The bookmakers refused to oppose Sea The Stars and and 8-13 was the best price. Conduit, Ryan Moore up, was a 5-1 chance. Rip Van Winkle was 6-1. Mick Kinane was on a ground-saving mission. Sea The Stars lay sixth. Rip Van Winkle, ridden by Jimmy Fortune, tracked the favorite. Conduit, the 2008 St Leger champion and the Breeders’ Cup winner at Santa Anita, brought up the rear. With 400 metres to run, Kinane angled his mount out and set sail. In a matter of moments, the Cape Cross colt hit the front but the issue had not been settled yet. Jimmy Fortune conjured a strong response from the Aidan O’Brien-trained Rip Van Winkle. Conduit was closing in a hurry. There were 200 metres left. Rip Van Winkle’s challenge was assuming menacing proportions. A long neck was the advantage that Sea The Stars enjoyed. In an instant, the menace became a futile bid. Kinane asked Sea The Stars to find more. And there it was, Sea The Stars dug in and lengthened his stride. The margin was a length. Conduit took third.

The Eclipse was worth 283,350 pounds to the winner. The 2000-metre Eclipse was run in 2 3.4 seconds. It was Kinane’s fourth win in the Eclipse. Nashwan won the English 2000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the Eclipse in 1989. Sea The Stars emulated the feat. In recent years, the Eclipse has been the waterloo for Derby winners. Motivator was beaten in 2005. In 2007, Authorized could not do it. Sea The Stars reversed the trend.

John Oxx reacted. “This is what keeps you working. For 19 out of 20 days, when you say you are wasting your time training racehorses when you can do something easier, these are the moments that keep you going.” Oxx spoke about his colt’s next race. “We wanted to run in the Irish Derby. Now, we have won the Eclipse. We will have to think about where he goes next. I will see how he comes out of this race.”

Jockey Kinane paid tribute to his mount. “He is so quick out of the gate. It is hard to stop him. He will never win by more than two. He just does enough. He has so much early pace and can accelerate any time, it’s unbelievable. You don’t get many like him.”

In a conversation at the Curragh on Derby day, trainer Oxx told me that Sea The Stars will stay with him. He was ruling out rumors of a sale. “It is the going at the Curragh that influenced me. I am not ducking anything. I know what my colt can do. I will do what is best for him. We have not seen his best yet.”

Donativum, the Breeders’ Cup winner last year as a juvenile, returned to winning form on Saturday. After two failures this year as a sophomore, Donativum won a Listed race over 1600 metres at Deauville (outside Paris). Frankie Dettori rode.

I spoke to Niall McCullagh about India and Set Alight. “I had exercised the filly all along. I knew her well. The ‘powers to be’ decided not to give me the ride in the Derby though I won the prep race with her. I took it on the chin. Mallesh is a good rider. In hindsight, I do not want to say anything. It is a race that she could have won.”

“I love India. I will be there in November. I like the racing. This will be my 17th year. What does it tell you?” McCullagh continued.

Danny Grant said he had made the adjustment. He is very much at home riding in India. “I am looking forward to going back,” Grant told me.

Mine That Bird will go in the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park on August 1. Trainer Chip Woolley is looking for a rider. Calvin Borel is not making a commitment, according to trainer Woolley. “I am looking for a rider who will fit my horse best. After the West Virginia Derby, we will go to the Travers at Saratoga and then it is on to the Breeders’ Cup, “Woolley said.

Summer Bird, the Belmont Stakes champion, is at Monmouth Park. The Birdstone colt, owned by Mrs Devi Jayaraman and Dr K K Jayaraman, will go in the million-dollar Haskell Invitational on August 2. Kent Desormeaux will ride and he won the Haskell last year with Big Brown.

Tim Ice, Summer Bird’s trainer, rode in the van that brought Summer Bird to Monmouth Park from Louisiana. “He (Summer Bird) handled the trip better than I did. He got off the van full of himself. He’s fine.”

Jealous Again has been bought by the Godolphin camp. The Trippi filly, trained by Wesley Ward, was a runaway winner in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. Jealous Again will ship to England. She is now in the care of Tom Albertrani at Monmouth. Jealous Again is the first US-trained runner to win a Grouo Stakes at Royal Ascot.

There are several Graded races in America on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, the American Oaks will be run at Hollywood Park. Fourteen run in the 2000-metre Group I turf race. Monmouth hosts the 2200-metre United Nations Handicap on Saturday. It is a ‘you win and you’re in’ race for the Breeders’ Cup. Another ‘you win and you’re in’ race is the Grade III Salvatore Mile also at Monmouth Park.

Nicky Henderson trains jump horses for the Queen. One of the Queen’s runners, Moonlit Path, has tested positive for a prohibited substance. It is a drug that prevents haemorrahaging. Henderson has been fined 65,000 dollars. He has been banned for three months beginning July 11.

Rahy has been pensioned. He is 24 and declining fertility has been cited as the reason. Rahy stood for $50,000 this year. Blushing Groom is Rahy’s father. Rahy started his racing career in England and came to America in 1989 when four. He won the Bel Air Handicap at Hollywood Park going away. He sired 84 stakes winners. There were 14 Group I winners. The names that come readily to mind are Fantastic Light, Dreaming of Anna, Dancing Forever, Serena’s Song and Noverre. The last named is at stud in India. Rahy’s grandson, Le Havre won the French Derby in June.