No complaints if Delacroix downs Ombudsman in Classic Eclipse
STARS will descend on Sandown this Saturday as the Esher track hosts its most important Flat card of the year, with the highlight being the Group One Coral-Eclipse (3.35pm).
It’s a contest that sees the season’s first clash of the generations at Group One level, as the top middle-distance older horses take on the best of this year’s Classic generation.
It’s the three-year-old horses that have held sway in recent years, winning all four of the most recent renewals and seven of the last 10.
Aidan O’Brien has accounted for three of the last four winners, taking last year’s race with City Of Troy, who was sent off the 1/4 favourite.
This year’s favourite looks likely to be impressive Royal Ascot Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner, Ombudsman, who I think could prove mighty hard to beat.
However, if there is a horse that is up to giving the Godolphin four-year-old a race, it’s the O’Brien-trained DELACROIX.
The son of Dubawi beat dual Derby hero Lambourn on his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown, and then set himself up for Epsom with a win in the Derby Trial Stakes at the same Foxrock venue.
On the back of those performances, he was seen as Ballydoyle’s main Derby contender and was sent off the 2/1 favourite at Epsom.
Nothing went right for him on that occasion, as he was hampered before the field swung into Tattenham Corner and then looked to get unbalanced on the camber coming down the hill before finishing ninth.
He’s better than that, and it’s worth forgiving one disappointing effort on that unconventional track.
Sandown, and possibly the drop back to 10 furlongs, should suit him much better, and if he can return to his best form, he’s certainly capable of shaking up Ombudsman.
At around 8/1, there’s more value to be had playing him each-way than siding with the favourite at 5/4.
Earlier on the card, the Coral Challenge (2.25pm) is a competitive handicap which includes a few that could be well treated.
Ryan Moore has been booked to ride Greek Order, who was seen finishing a close fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot and that sort of form makes him a major player here.
CLASSIC is another that holds strong claims and looks a horse that is now too well-handicapped to ignore.
Richard Hannon’s charge was a bit unlucky when finishing second over this course and distance on his last start, as he got caught in a pocket while the winner quickened down the outside.
With a clear run that day, Classic would have gone very close.
He was well beaten in this race 12 months ago, but is now six pounds lower in the handicap and has gone close off higher marks than his current rating of 87.
He also seems to save his best form for Sandown, with one win and two seconds from six starts here, so is my idea of a very solid each-way bet at 8/1.
At Haydock, the Old Newton Cup (3.15pm) always presents a good betting opportunity.
This doesn’t look the strongest renewal and it could be worth chancing the Ian Williams-trained NIGHT BREEZE at odds of 20/1.
Fast ground is key to this five-year-old, so forecast showers on Merseyside are a worry, but if those don’t materialise, then the track should ride rattling quick.
Night Breeze was impressive on good-to-firm ground at Ascot two starts ago, and ran well for fifth at Epsom last time despite the ground going against him.
If conditions are more suitable on Saturday, he could run a big race.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Classic e/w 2.25pm Sandown
Night Breeze e/w 3.15pm Haydock
Delacroix e/w 3.35pm Sandown