The big question mark overshadowing the Eclipse Stakes is the participation (or not) of Kingston Hill. Ante post punters have no worries but non-runner no-bet punters could be stung with a Rule 4 deduction if there is not enough rain. If the rain that has hit East Yorkshire makes it down to Surrey there is a good chance he will run. Personally I think the owners will be wasting their entry money until September unless they go overseas.
This is our first genuine opportunity to gauge the merits of the Classic generation against the older horses, whoever wins.
The form horse is clearly the favourite The Fugue and the chief rivals are the 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder, who I think will stay and will improve for the step up in trip; and American import Verrazano, who is also an unknown at the trip (has won over nine furlongs on dirt). Mukhadram hopes to go two better than last year whilst the three-year-old True Story wants the rain to stay away in his first time visor and it is hard to see the trip helping War Command reverse form (twice) with the Guineas winner. It is difficult to see the drop in trip being the key to Trading Leather, so I think The Fugue will have the race set up for her unless significant rain arrives. Here’s hoping she does not blow it like last year by pulling too hard.
The Coral Charge is quite a competitive race on paper and the betting is wide open, but Ollie Stevens principal contender Extortionist looks worth another chance at this level after being headed by Fountain Of Youth at The Curragh when stepping up from handicap company. Looking at his collateral form, Ahtoug has a good chance at this level but has spent most of his career as a “nearly” horse and Stepper Point – in front of him at Ascot – is another to which that applies. On that score let us not mention Kingsgate Native, who was a “nearly” horse at stud too!
Whiplash Willie, third to Brown Panther over course and distance a little more than a month ago, looks very obvious in the Coral Marathon, so he is bound to get turned over by Mr Henderson’s mare.
