ITV Racing Tips: Can Ghaiyyath topple Enable in the Coral-Eclipse?
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Football fans may be looking forward to a Premier League Super Sunday, but we’re champing at the bit for an afternoon at Super Sandown where Enable is all set to make her seasonal reappearance.
John Gosden’s wonder-mare was just touched off in her bid to land a historic hat-trick in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last term. Now the quest begins again in the same place where it all started for her last season.
Can she return with a win in the Coral-Eclipse? Or will Godolphin hopeful Ghaiyyath throw a spanner in the works? We’ve previewed the feature race alongside two more terrestrial tear-ups in our ITV Racing Tips.
RACE OF THE DAY – CORAL-ECLIPSE – SANDOWN 15:35
You’ll be hard pushed to find a better quality race than the Eclipse this season. Enable, Ghaiyyath and Japan are all bona fide Group 1 contenders, while Magic Wand, Deidre and Regal Reality can all hold their own in this company.
That said, it’s the foremost hat-trick of horses who are expected to fight it out here, although Japan may struggle to get involved after a disappointing comeback run which saw him finish fourth in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Ghaiyyath has been something of a talking horse for a while and has to be taken seriously after blowing away the cobwebs in some style to land the Coronation Cup at Newmarket from Anthony Van Dyck a month ago.
The only question now, is can he put it up to Enable? The six-year-old has been spot on for her seasonal reappearance in each of the last two years but may not get the same tow into this race as she did last season.
Charlie Appleby’s inmate will look to squeeze her, and then it’s down to how Enable responds. It’s a fascinating contest, and while the mare is the star turn, it could be Ghaiyyath who comes out on top with the run of the race.
NEXT BEST – LANCASHIRE OAKS – HAYDOCK, 14:40
Manuela De Vega marked her seasonal reappearance with a cosy victory over subsequent runaway Hardwicke Stakes winner Fanny Logan at Haydock, and on the basis of that boosted form, it’s hard to get away from her.
Ralph Beckett’s hopeful appears to be have benefited from the frontrunning tactics of jockey Rob Hornby, and if he’s allowed to get away with similar antics up the front this time around, the pair could be difficult to reel in.
Stablemate Antonia De Vega is a Listed winner at Pontefract but will need to progress further to get involved, while Dame Malliot won at this level as a two-year-old in France and can be forgiven her run in the Park Hill Stakes.
ONE TO WATCH – CORAL CHARGE – SANDOWN, 13:50
There are chances through the field in this fast and furious 5f sprint but it’s hard to dismiss Lazuli, who produced one of the sprinting performances of the season so far to take the Scurry Stakes over course and distance last month.
The Dubawi gelding made all that day and turned on the afterburners 2f from home before easing down towards the line to win by over 3l. A repeat performance hereon good ground would make him difficult to beat up in grade.
Liberty Beach is coming the other way after finishing a fine third behind Battaash in the King’s Stand and must be considered, while three-time Group 2 winner A’Ali is seen to best effect over this distance and can get involved.
SUNDAY 14TH JULY, ITV RACING SCHEDULE
13:50 Sandown – Coral Charge (Group 3)
14:05 Haydock – Class 2 Handicap
14:25 Sandown – Henry II Stakes (Group 3)
14:40 Haydock – Lancashire Oaks (Group 3)
15:00 Sandown – Coral Challenge
15:15 Haydock – Old Newton Cup
15:35 Sandown – Coral-Eclipse (Group 1)
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
