72 ENTRIES FOR THIS YEARS GROUP 1 CORAL-ECLIPSE
27/04/2011
The Coral-Eclipse, the highlight of the Flat season at Sandown Park, which takes place on Saturday 2nd July 2011, has attracted a star-studded list of entries, including Workforce, Twice Over and Canford Cliffs.
The race is traditionally the first race over the summer that this year’s Classic crop of three-year-olds will have the opportunity to test their credentials against the older campaigners including last year’s Investec Derby and Prix De l’Arc de Triomphe winner, Workforce and Twice Over, who won the 2010 renewal of the Coral-Eclipse, for Henry Cecil. Both horses run in Prince Khalid Abdulla’s pink, white and green colours, and the owner also has Midday, Cityscape, a close second in Saturday’s bet365 Mile at Sandown Park, and Confront entered.
Casamento, winner of the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy, and 16-1 fancy for this Saturday’s Qipco 2,000 Guineas heads a strong Godolphin hand that also includes Rewilding and Saamidd. Richard Hannon has entered last year’s imperious miler Canford Cliffs who won three consecutive Group One victories last summer.
In a truly international affair, the Elie Lellouche-trained Group 2 winner Planteur has also been entered from France, along with Jean-Claude Rouget’s Stacelita, second in the Nassau Stakes on her last trip to these shores and Silver Pond from the stable of Carlos Laffon-Parias. Aiden O’Brien holds 19 entries for the race including last year’s Irish Derby winner Cape Blanco and Roderic O’Connor who was second only to Frankel in the 2010 Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and is a general 10-1 shot for this year’s Investec Derby. The Ballydoyle handler has also entered So You Think, Australia’s superstar, who is now in training in Ireland.
Coral first sponsored the Eclipse Stakes in 1976 when Wollow was awarded the race following the disqualification of Trepan. Some of the great horses to win the Coral-Eclipse since then include Sadler's Wells (1984), Pebbles (1985), Dancing Brave (1986), Nashwan (1989), Opera House (1993), Pilsudski (1997), Giant's Causeway (2000), Falbrav (2003), Oratorio (2005) and Sea The Stars (2009).
The Coral-Eclipse is part of the QIPCO British Champion Series.
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Contact: Johnno Spence
Tel No: 020 7385 8819 / 07860 583307
