Eclipse - Sandown Saturday

Nice race , Derby 2nd and 4th against the St James Palace winner


Cliffs Of Moher would have won the Derby if it had been over this trip

Should be a cracker

The three-year-olds meet their elders in one of the highlights of the summer at Sandown on Saturday. Here are the thoughts of the trainers of the Coral-Eclipse runners:

Roger Charlton, trainer of Decorated Knight

He's improved with every race when he's got the ground he likes. You never know after a tough race in the heat but he came out of Ascot very well. He's very fresh and looks great.

It'll be interesting to see how he runs with Ulysses again and the question mark is over the three-year-olds, which none of us will know until it happens.

He's tough, improving and sound. It's his perfect conditions, with fast ground and a likely fast pace on a track that should suit.

David Simcock, trainer of Lightning Spear and Desert Encounter

For one reason or another it didn't happen for him at Ascot but nothing came to light. This was always on the agenda and we're looking forward to trying it.

He ran in the Champion Stakes on very soft ground before he was with me and didn't run any sort of a race then. It's going to be hard to give three-year-olds weight.

Desert Encounter is improving all the time and drops back to a mile and a quarter. We'll see if that suits.

Alan Cooper, racing manager to the Niarchos family, owner of Ulysses

He's a course-and-distance winner and gained more experience at Group 1 level in the Prince of Wales's.

He ran a super race at Ascot and we're hoping he can do similar on Saturday. Sir Michael said that Ulysses has taken Ascot very well and appears to be in top form, so we're hopeful of a good showing.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Barney Roy

I don't know he'll get the trip, but I hope he will and I think he will. He's out of a Galileo mare and he doesn't pull. He's a horse we love who is massively popular in the yard.

Cliffs Of Moher (Ryan Moore) the Dee Stakes
Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Cliffs Of Moher and Taj Mahal

Cliffs Of Moher came out of Epsom well and all has been good with him since. We think dropping back two furlongs in trip won't be a problem for him. He won over the same sort of trip at Chester and lost out only near the finish at Epsom.

Taj Mahal is a tough, hardy horse over a mile and a half and over a mile and a quarter. He's in good form and we're hoping he runs well.

Eminent
Martyn Meade, trainer of Eminent

We've had a couple of disappointing runs, so I'm hoping it's third time lucky. The more I analyse it, every single element is in his favour. The trip and track are right, he has a proper draw, a hungry jockey and, most importantly, the horse is in great form."

He never had the chance to use his stride at Epsom, going up the hill and coming down the side in the bunch all the way round.

Coming into the straight he got squeezed first, was stopped again, then went on and got squeezed in the last furlong. When you weigh it all up he was beaten one and three-quarter lengths. Cliffs Of Moher had a relatively easy run through.

I believe he has that extra speed, because of the Craven result, and coming back to one mile two might be the making of him

Sylvester Kirk, trainer of Salouen

He's never been in better form and the owner was very keen to run him, but we're hoping rather than expecting.

On his last two runs you could argue it doesn't warrant giving it a go, but it didn't really pan out as we'd hoped at Ascot. He ran very free early on and anything that was up there stayed up there, while we dropped him out - his run petered out but he did have quite a lot to do.

Cliffs with Ryan the one

Cracking race in store

As much a Barney Roy fan as I am, I'm doubtful if he'll stay... if he does then he'll go close. but I'm going to be on Cliffs of Moher - should drift close to race time as Barney shortens. The derby 2nd should prefer this trip. Just got outstayed in the Derby and looks ready to progress from there.

Ulysses will get a saver @ 7/1 but main bet Cliffs of Moher

I'm going to stick with Barney Roy. Yes, there are question marks regarding him staying, but I'm banking on his stable not chancing it if they didn't strongly feel that he would stay.

I think he is a special horse. His penultimate run was inspiring. Almost came down at the 200m mark, but still managed to fight back gamely for a good second. Shows he has heart this horse.

Eminent will win

MasterOfMyFate wrote: Cracking race in store

As much a Barney Roy fan as I am, I'm doubtful if he'll stay... if he does then he'll go close. but I'm going to be on Cliffs of Moher - should drift close to race time as Barney shortens. The derby 2nd should prefer this trip. Just got outstayed in the Derby and looks ready to progress from there.

Ulysses will get a saver @ 7/1 but main bet Cliffs of Moher

great call with Ulysses

Chicken,Ryan Moore got himself into all sorts of trouble there.

durbs wrote: Chicken,Ryan Moore got himself into all sorts of trouble there.

yep. even the best make a mistake now and again

Its because I had him as a banker, he would find more kak in one race than a dung beetle in a life time. Tosser

neigh wrote: Its because I had him as a banker, he would find more kak in one race than a dung beetle in a life time. Tosser

he will make it up on later on with Frontispiece