ECLIPSE BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS: Top horses from three age groups – three, four and five – top the list in Daqman’s ABC guide to Saturday’s Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, first clash of the generations in a three-month ride through the King George to the Arc. Nine runners are set to go to post.
THURSDAY TRIO: DAQMAN has a trio of bets on Thursday and it’s going to be a long day. His nap runs in the opening 1.50 at Yarmouth and his final bet in the 9.05pm at Newbury.
ECLIPSE STAKES ABC GUIDE
Eclipse showdown. Is this year’s Classic generation a poor one, as they keep beating each other, or are the quality colts only now emerging? Saturday’s Eclipse should answer that question, as the three-year-olds settle their arguments and, at the same time, are tested against the older generations.
A Seven of last eight winners rated 119 to 126
B Group winner (10/10)
C Owned Godolphin, trained O’Brien, Stoute (5 each)
D Aged below 6 and raced 12 times or fewer (7/10)
X Stable in top form
ABCD Barney Roy
Whereas the Derby form remains up in the air, the mile decision must be to Barney Roy, who was too green in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas and finished a length off Churchill, but got his revenge at Royal Ascot with a barnstorming run.
The question now is whether Barney has more improvement to come over an extra two furlongs, and whether he has the class of Epsom Derby runner-up, Cliffs Of Moher.
ABCD Ulysses
Jim Crowley, currently on a poor run (8% strike) and with his jockeys’ title all but handed back to Silvestre De Sousa, has been given a season saver here, regarded as one of those older-horse improvers for which Sir Michael Stoute is famous.
If the Breeders Cup Turf in November and the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot last month are any guide, then Ulysses failed to bridge the gap (three-year-old allowance taken into account) with that fierce competitor Highland Reel. But who in this field could?
ABX Decorated Knight
Olivier Peslier may be on board Roger Charlton’s durable Knight, who battled bravely with Highland Reel, trying to land a third Group 1 (Ulysses a short-head third) in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
AB Lightning Spear
Celebration Mile winner at Glorious Goodwood 2016 and placed in Group-1 events at that trip to both Minding and Ribchester but 12th of 13 at the 2015 champions meeting at Ascot on his only start stepped up to 1m 2f, though that was before he joined David Simcock.
BCDX Cliffs Of Moher
Ballydoyle has always thought this one their best three-year-old colt, and were shocked when he was mugged by one of their own at the finish of a tactical Epsom Derby.
There’s still time to right the painful irony that his stable has taken two 2017 Derbys while Cliffs has won only a Listed race this season. As in the 8-10f division so far, the results have been upended.
A different pace, a different race, and Capri, who finished three lengths behind Cliffs Of Moher at Epsom, wins the Irish Derby.
Don’t forget that two Eclipse winners in the last five years, Golden Horn and Nathaniel, went on to take the King George and the Arc.
BD Eminent
Behind Cliffs Of Moher but in front of Capri, Eminent’s Epsom Derby fourth – squeezed for room – shines almost as strongly as does Cliffs Of Moher’s second.
Most important for both of them entering the fray at Sandown on Saturday is that they missed Royal Ascot and come here comparatively fresh.
Maybe too fresh, in fact, as far as Eminent is concerned, the trainer saying the colt will be given his head in the race after breaking 40 mph on the gallops and putting his workrider in hospital.
CX Taj Mahal
Ran up to Orderofthegarter in that Leopardstown Trial, and behind that one again when fourth at Royal Ascot after filling the same position in the French Derby. Just 4lb higher after five races this season.
D Desert Encounter
Listed win and second in the Spring leaves him a stone to find in this company but is by Halling so a potential improver. Likes some give in the ground.
D Salouen
Classic-generation yardstick at one time, placed in the Lagardere and the Racing Post trophy last season, and the Fielden Stakes this. But out of his depth in both the Epsom Derby and the ‘Ascot Derby’ (King Edward V11 Stakes).
ARBALET TO START DAY WELL
1.50 Yarmouth John Francome made the point of always supporting a horse that plays up, but runs well, on it’s NEXT START. We have a case in point today with Arbalet in the opener at Yarmouth.
The Hugo Palmer trained runner started favourite for his debut at York but played up in the stalls and it seemed to take an eternity for the penny to drop. When it did, he stayed on well and the grey finished second to International Man.
With the benefit of experience and over the same trip and same good to firm ground he should prove hard to beat in the Yarmouth opener.
Gotti stepped up on his Brighton debut fourth to win in a bunch finish over 5f at Windsor last time out but surely must be vulnerable under his penalty.
Hey Gaman is harder to assess. He went within a nose of upsetting the odds on Westerland on debut at Leicester (good to soft ground) and then was beaten 12 lengths when stepped up in class and distance for the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He could storm home in this weaker contest but his presence makes the market for Arbalet who is entitled to improve significantly from his debut effort.
7.15 Epsom A poor card by Epsom standards. Just six races, five of them handicaps and it’s only this class 3 that saves the night on the quality front but even this is shaky as the forecast favourite Major Pusey is now a non runner.
Mark Johnston does well here and Storm Cry could land this for the Middleham trainer. She has finished placed at Carlisle, Haydock and Newmarket in her last three starts when there has been give in the ground but has run well on faster ground too previously.
She’s been held up of late but it would come as no surprise to see her ping out and try and make all – tactics which were used in her only previous career win.
9.05 Newbury I started with the first race of the day and am finishing with the last. Pack It In looks opposable here. He has never run his best races here at Newbury 12th of 12, 11th of 15 and 5th of 6 and looks a little short in the betting. He ran well enough when third at Lingfield last time out but 3.6 on BETDAQ looks short in what is a competitive finale.
Monsieur Glory has a very similar profile but is nearly double the price of the favourite which just seems crazy. He’s only a two-time career winner but both his wins have come on fast ground so please stay away thunder storms.
DAQMAN’S BETS:
BET 8pts win (nap) ARBALET (1.50 Yarmouth)
BET 4pts win STORM CRY (7.15 Epsom)
BET 5pts win 3pts place MONSIEUR GLORY (9.05 Newbury)
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
