What to Look Out For in the Coral Eclipse?
by Steve Ashfield | by Yunchu Li
Can a Younger Horse Win the Coral Eclipse Again?
Saturday July 6 sees the Coral Eclipse take place at Sandown. It's a chance for the top three-year-olds to take on and hopefully beat older horses. That's fully expected to happen this year as Epsom Derby winner City of Troy is the odds-on favorite to win this Group 1 race.
The older horses have to give weight to the younger ones and that makes their task even harder. Not since 2020 has a horse aged older than three managed to win this historic race. WIll that change this weekend?
City of Troy Goes for the Derby and Eclipse Double
It's been a strange few months for City of Troy. 2024 began with the Aidan O'Brien horse as the favorite to win the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby.
After being unbeaten as a two-year-old, City of Troy was being heralded as one of the best horses ever to step on a track. Then came the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and everything changed.
Instead of running away with the first Classic of the year, the three-year-old finished in ninth place. The bubble had burst and everyone was wondering just what had gone wrong.
City of Troy ran too energetically in the first half of the race. That left little in the tank for the favorite and those who had backed him were hugely disappointed.
A comfortable winner at Epsom
The Derby was run over four furlongs longer than the 2000 Guineas. He didn't have any more races before the big day and put in a stunning performance running out a comfortable winner at Epsom.
Now he's being aimed at the Coral Eclipse and no horse has completed the Derby/Eclipse double since Golden Horn in 2015. This race is run over a mile and two furlongs so it's a shorter trip for City of Troy. It's 1.5 at William Hill he wins this race.
Aidan O'Brien has won this race more times than any other trainer. He's confident that the three-year-old won't have any problems and can win on Saturday. Being a three-year-old City of Troy will receive 9lbs from the older runners.
Another Leading O'Brien Contender
As is often the case, Aidan O'Brien has a very strong hand in a Group 1 race. He also runs Luxembourg who is five years-old and the current fifth favorite to win this race.
This contender has had a similar career to his stablemate. Luxembourg was unbeaten as a two-year-old but the following season could only finish third in the 2000 Guineas.
Like City of Troy, he bounced back and won in Group 3 and then the Irish Champion Stakes. A run in the Prix de L'arc de Triomphe didn't go well as he was bumped and only finished seventh.
Back to form at Epsom
2024 got off to a disappointing start with poor runs in Riyadh and Meydan. Last month saw Luxembourg back to form at Epsom with a win in the Group 1 Coronation Cup.
He made all in that race that was held over a mile-and-a-half. Luxembourg has won over this distance and a bold show is likely on Saturday at odds of 9.5 at Vbet. But can he give the weight away to City of Troy and the other three year-olds?
Who Can Stop O'Brien?
Who can stop Aidan O'Brien training a record-extending ninth winner in this race? John Joseph Murphy will be trying hard with his four-year-old White Birch.
Currently second in the market, White Birch has been in excellent form this year with three wins, all at the Curragh in Ireland. All three victories were at Group level, his most recent being in May.
That saw White Birch (who finished third in last year's Epsom Derby) win the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. He beat Auguste Rodin (the 2023 Derby winner) into second place. Giving weight to City of Troy won't be easy but here's a horse that is in great form and is 6.50 at Unibet to win Saturday's race.
The best of the other three-year-olds in this race looks to be Dancing Gemini, trained by Roger Teal. He finished sixth in the Epsom Derby but didn't have the best of runs being bumped not once but twice..He has over eight lengths to make up on City of Troy but would have finished closer at Epsom with a better run.
Ghostwriter is an each-way prospect back on good ground. He didn't run well on heavy last time out and finished fourth at Chantilly. Earlier in the season he finished ahead of City of Troy in the 2000 Guineas despite stumbling.
Brian Meehan's Jayarebe is another to look out for. He has won twice this year, including a Group 3 race at Royal Ascot. The three-year-old may well improve again.
Odds to win the Coral Eclipse
- City of Troy, odds of 1.44
- White Birch, odds of 6.00
- Luxembourg, odds of 9.00
- Dancing Gemini, odds of 9.00
- Ghostwriter, odds of 10.00
- Continuous, odds of 13.00
- Jayarebe, odds of 26.00
odds from bet365
