Sandown hosts its biggest day in the Flat racing calendar with the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse set to be a blockbuster renewal.
Having atoned for his 2000 Guineas flop with an assertive performance in the Epsom Derby, City Of Troy is odds-on to follow up here.
His likely opposition includes Tattersalls Gold Cup winner White Burch, Clive Cox’s Ghostwriter, and Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini.
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Coral-Eclipse Runners
City Of Troy
City Of Troy is held in the highest esteem by handler Aidan O’Brien and produced a performance of the highest quality when winning the Epsom Derby, with Ambiente Friendly (second) and Los Angeles (third) in behind.
That form has worked out well, given that the latterly mentioned pair renewed rivalry in the Irish Derby, in which Los Angeles reversed the form with James Fanshawe’s charge to take the spoils in good style.
While City Of Troy disappointed for whatever strange reason in the 2000 Guineas, last time out he showed his true colours, and with the prospect of more to come, he will be very difficult to beat.
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White Birch
The second favourite is White Birch, who has returned with a bang this season, winning all three starts, and should have more to offer. The form of his latest victory when beating Auguste Rodin was boosted when the latter subsequently landed the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
John Murphy’s charge is an improved model since finishing third in last year’s Epsom Derby, and form-wise, he is the main danger to the favourite. That being said, conceding 9Ib to the Derby winner might prove a daunting task, so improvement may be needed if he is going to extend his winning sequence.
Ghostwriter
Won all three starts last season and has run respectably to finish fourth in two Group 1s this year in England and France. Clive Cox thinks a lot of him, and he managed to finish a long way in front of City Of Troy in the 2000 Guineas on his return at Newmarket.
The latter was admittedly far from his best that day, but the Esher track should suit this son of Invincible Spirit, and being open to further improvement, it will be intriguing to see how he gets on up against the big two Irish raiders. I can definitely see him exceeding market expectations.
Coral-Eclipse 2024 Date
The 2024 Coral-Eclipse is set to take place at Sandown on Saturday, July 8th, with the scheduled race time at 15.40pm.
Coral-Eclipse Betting Tips
City Of Troy will be hard to beat if he can replicate his Epsom Derby heroics, especially getting plenty of weight from White Birch. Speaking of the latter, the Tattersalls Gold Cup winner has a tough task on these terms and might be at his most vulnerable under the anticipated quicker conditions.
On the other hand, GHOSTWRITER may be one to run well at a price and offer some decent each-way value in a race that is sure to cut up. The Royal Lodge winner has performed with enormous credit to finish fourth in the 2000 Guineas and French Derby, and there appears no real reason why he can’t go well.
