Oh for a crystal ball to know who will be in front after a furlong in Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
It’s a puzzle Carol Vorderman would surely relish.
I have a feeling we’ll see the real Delacroix once again in the Coral-Eclipse after his Derby flop[/caption]
As I have written many times, pace is a crucial factor in solving most horse races, but it’s not the be all and end all.
Ultimately, the best horse can win whatever the circumstances, and for those of us looking at an angle into the Eclipse, it’s possible we might just be overcomplicating things believing this is a race to be ‘stolen’ from the front.
After all, on paper strong favourite Ombudsman is the clear form choice.
Indeed, after his Prince of Wales’s romp Ombudsman is not only the best horse in this afternoon’s feature shown live at 3.35 on ITV, but with a mark of 128 he’s actually the best turf horse on the planet.
And that’s an accolade given to the John & Thady Gosden-handled inmate after just six appearances, so there is no reason why he won’t have plenty more to show us.
Ombudsman also has decent course form, having chased home Almaqam on his seasonal return in the Brigadier Gerard, so the track holds no fears.
It was a belting return and no one will be surprised if Ombudsman romps in.
And what about Sosie? Andre Fabre’s rare Eclipse raider is another belting colt.
Sosie has won six of his nine outings and was sent off favourite when finishing fourth in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Since then, Sosie has run twice, over 1m1f and an extended 1m2f.
He scored on both occasions, landing Group 1s in the Ganay and Prix d’Ispahan.
But I want to take both Sosie and Ombudsman on, even if it seems a bit crackers.
It’s a hunch that the Prince of Wales’s form might not be quite what it looks.
There’s no doubt Los Angeles ran well below par and Anmaat did well in second but the ground was against him.
As for Sosie, despite the evidence I still feel he might be best over a longer trip.
So who might cause an upset?
That’s where the pace angle stares one in the face.
With no pacemaker involved this is an Eclipse gagging for a leader who can keep quickening from the front.
DELACROIX is a strong stayer at this trip, led when landing the Ballysax at Leopardstown and was bang to the fore in the Derby Trial at the same track.
The Dubawi colt, trained by Aidan O’Brien and the pick of Ryan Moore, never showed up at Epsom.
His sire Dubawi has never sired a Derby winner, but he has at least produced two Eclipse winners in Al Kazeem and Ghaiyyath.
In what’s an Eclipse to savour we have two Classic winners in the field in French Derby hero Camille Pissarro and 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court to consider, and outsider Hotazhell is no mug himself.
Who will eclipse them? It’s Delacroix for me.
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