Delacroix SN – 3.35
can reestablish himself as a top-notch performer with victory in a crackerjack clash of the generations in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Smart last year, he set off this campaign looking the real deal, bagging two Derby trials and going off as favourite for the premier Classic at Epsom.
He had dismissed Lambourn in the first of those Leopardstown trial victories, but come the big day little went right, as he had lost his position somewhat before being hampered by Pride Of Arras.
That left him with a mountain to climb and while he ran on to finish ninth, it was a performance Aidan O’Brien felt needed a line putting through it.
Lambourn has since won the Irish equivalent, so whatever your view of Delacroix there is still plenty to recommend him based on that prior meeting and Ryan Moore rides in preference to French Derby-winning stablemate Cammille Pissarro.
The list of horses O’Brien has brought back from disappointing defeats to win at the highest level is a long one and it might be a strongly-run mile and a quarter will very much be to Delacroix’s liking, not to mention the 10lb he gets from Ombudsman and Sosie.
Kerdos SN – 1.50
deserves to get his head in front again in decent company and the Coral Charge fits the bill. The Clive Cox-trained five-year-old won the Temple Stakes last year and has been thereabouts in the best sprints since then.
A case in point was his fifth in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, beaten only two lengths having got loose before the start and done no favours in the race itself with the way the draw worked out.
Charlie Johnston’s
Suite Francaise SN – 3.00
is a really interesting contender in the Coral Distaff.
Winner of her sole start at two over seven furlongs, she looked an improved performer on her reappearance in a mile novice at Haydock in May. Her sister was a Listed winner and this has a wide-open look to it.
Classic SN – 2.25
should be thereabouts for Richard Hannon in the Coral Challenge.
He can be frustrating, but Sandown is to his liking and he is a couple of pounds lower than his last victory, which came here almost two years ago to the day.
All eyes at Haydock will be on
Estrange HY – 2.40
in the bet365 Lancashire Oaks.
David O’Meara’s grey was so impressive on her previous start at the Merseyside track she earned quotes for the Arc.
While it is a big leap from Group Three and Group Two company at Haydock to the biggest race in Europe in Paris in the autumn, a similar performance to her last one will have connections beginning to dream.
Also at Haydock is the bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap, in which the David Menuisier-trained
City Of Delight HY – 3.15
might have a bit more to give now he tries a mile and a half for the first time.
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