Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece I’m looking ahead to Sandown’s Coral Eclipse.
Looking Ahead to the Weekend
Epsom Derby winner City Of Troy bids to follow in the hoofprints of illustrious predecessors like Sea The Stars and Golden Horn by clinching the Coral Eclipse (3:35) at Sandown on Saturday. City Of Troy's dominance has seemingly scared off most potential rivals, and if White Birch doesn’t compete, it looks like a straightforward win for him.
Besides the big Group 1 contest, the Sandown undercard features the Group 3 Coral Charge (1:50) and the Listed Coral Distaff (3:00). There's also some compelling action up at Haydock, with the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks (2:40) being the highlight of a seven-race card, along with the bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap (3:15).
ITV Racing will be covering the best action from both Sandown and Haydock.
The sunny, settled weather and consistent ground at Royal Ascot already seems like a distant memory. Although the calendar reads July 1st, the temperature never rose above 14°C all day. Watching the rain, you could be forgiven for thinking it was October 1st.
Sandown: Coral Eclipse
The Coral-Eclipse is one of the most prestigious Group 1 flat races in the British horse racing calendar. It serves as a bridge between the classics like the Epsom Derby and the later summer and autumn middle-distance Group 1 contests. This mix often leads to thrilling clashes between younger, up-and-coming three-year-olds and older, more experienced horses.
First run in 1886, the race is named after the 18th-century racehorse Eclipse, who was unbeaten in his 18 races and had a significant impact on Thoroughbred racing and breeding.
Trends:
Here’s a quick delve into horseracebase to look at the Coral Eclipse trends.
All the last 16 winners of Sandown’s Coral Eclipse were aged 3 to 5 and were returned 14/1 & shorter. Nothing remarkable and you would have only counted out 35% of the runners.
5-year-old qualifiers have a decent record in Sandown’s Coral Eclipse with 6 winners from 15 bets 40% +12.1, 7 places 47%. Only two from that age group were left in the race at Monday’s final confirmation – Stay Well who ran in last weekend’s Pretty Polly Stakes so an unlikely runner and Luxembourg whose participation seems doubtful.
Contenders
Just 11 horses remain in this year’s renewal after Monday’s final confirmation stage. Besides hot favourite City Of Troy, we’re hoping to see White Birch compete. White Birch has shown tremendous improvement from three to four and won the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last time out, beating Auguste Rodin. Should White Birch not line-up, City Of Troy’s biggest rival appears to be stablemate Luxembourg, though his participation is uncertain. Luxembourg is likely only left in as a precaution in case City Of Troy is unable to run.
The two three-year-olds, Dancing Gemini and Ghostwriter, seem likely to participate. Dancing Gemini might not have stayed the 1m 4f distance when finishing 6th to City Of Troy in the Derby, so the drop back to 1m 2f could be beneficial. However, this distance should also suit City Of Troy. Ghostwriter finished ahead of City Of Troy when fourth in the 2,000 Guineas and secured the same position in the French Derby last time. He’s an interesting contender on quick ground, which he isn’t certain to get, but it’s hard to see him beating City Of Troy.
Coral Eclipse Verdict:
I’m keeping it very simple. If White Birch doesn’t run this is will be a procession for City Of Troy. However, should White Birch line-up he would have a chance of beating the hot favourite.
Wednesday Racing
I have a recent tracker horse racing at Tipperary this evening but apart from that there’s not much that interests me.
Tipperary
7:45: Koniag won a mile handicap at Leopardstown last month, marking his first victory in seven attempts. The 3-year-old improved significantly and handled the quick ground well. Despite a 6lb rise, he remains competitive, and the extra furlong today should suit him.
Good luck with your Wednesday bets.
John