Expert Eye

Prix du Moulin before recording his biggest win in the Breeders' Cup Mile

Juddmonte Farms. He was sent into training with Michael Stoute at his Freemason Lodge stable in Newmarket, Suffolk

Diadem Stakes in 2003 and whose other progeny have included Dark Angel Marsha and Equiano.^[3] Expert Eye's dam Exemplify showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race from four starts in France,^[4] but was a half-sister to Special Duty and a female-line descendant of Chris Evert was closely related to Chief's Crown and Winning Colors.^[5]

6/1 in a nine-runner field. Ridden by Ryan Moore he overtook the favourite Mutakatif in the final furlong and won "readily" by one and a half lengths.^[6]

National Stakes after he was found to have contracted a minor respiratory infection.^[2]

Royal Ascot in June the colt was dropped back in class and distance for the Group 3 Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs in which he was ridden by James McDonald and started at 8/1. After being restrained towards the rear of the 21-runner field he began to make progress in the last quarter mile took the lead inside the final furlong and accelerated away from his rivals to win by four and a half lengths from Society Power.^[9] McDonald commented that the winner "felt like a rocket ship" while Michael Stoute said "He was such a good two-year-old and then things went wrong in the Dewhurst. I’m just so thrilled to see him back to this sort of form".^[10] At Goodwood on 1 August he was matched against older horses for the first time in the Sussex Stakes. He tracked the leaders before going to the front in the straight but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten one and a half lengths into second by the seven-year-old Lightning Spear. Twenty-four days later the colt dropped back to Group 3 class for the City of York Stakes over seven furlongs at York Racecourse in which he was partnered for the first time by Frankie Dettori. Starting the even money favourite he took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by one and a quarter lengths from the ten-year-old Gordon Lord Byron.^[11] Stoute commented "He's very nice and relaxed. The stalls' situation has been resolved. He goes in better than ever now and he's very relaxed when he's in there. He seems in a good frame of mind. We just need to eke out a little more improvement. He's not too far off Group 1 class now".^[12]

Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes) and One Master (Prix de la Forêt). After racing towards the rear, Expert Eye move up on the outside on the final turn and made his challenge in the straight. He looked unlikely to take a hand in the finish but began to rapid progress in the final furlong, took the lead in the final strides and won by half a length and a neck from Catapult and Analyze It.^[13] Dettori said "He broke well but then he took a false step and lost his position and I had to look for a plan B. As we got in to the straight, I asked him to pick up and the response wasn’t there for about 100m. I felt we were going to be a good fifth, and then he just managed to find his rhythm and I could see the leaders stopping. In the last 100 yards, he really got down and sprinted home. I went from despair to joy in the space of 100 yards".^[14]