Dubai: Dubai-owned horses have an impressive record in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes, one of the UK’s most prestigious all-age races, and that reputation that can be reinforced at this year’s renewal on Saturday.
Four horses, including Dubai World Cup runner-up Mukhadram, are likely runners in the 2,000m event which is the first of several exciting, yet unpredictable all-age contests that encompass the British champions Series.
Godolphin, a four-time winner of the Eclipse with Refuse To Bend (2004), Daylami (1998) and Halling (1996-’95) are doubly represented with Epsom Derby (G1) seventh True Story and last season’s Irish Derby (G1) victor Trading Leather.
English 2,000 Guineas (G1) sensation Night Of Thunder completes what appears to be a prosperous raiding party heading to the vibrant racecourse which has provided the platform for many of the turf’s leading stars to shine.
A strong field of 12 runners have been declared for the £435,000 (Dh2.1 million) contest with no less that six Group 1 scorers among them. The ante-post favourite is John Gosden’s stable flag-bearer The Fugue, a four-time winner at the highest level, and Aidan O’Brien’s American import Verrazano who has two Group 1 victories to his credit.
True Story was switched from last week’s Irish Derby (G1) to the Sandown showpiece with his trainer Saeed Bin Surour hoping that a change of equipment will help him rediscover the form he displayed when winning the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket by seven lengths.
The Darley homebred has failed to deliver in subsequent starts in the Dante (G1) at York and the Derby (G1) at Epsom but Bin Surour believes that his chances were primarily compromised by the prevailing ground conditions.
“I think the 10 furlongs in the Eclipse will be fine for him and I think the visor will ensure he stays focused,” he said. “He’s been working better with the equipment and Sandown should also be to his advantage.”
Mukhadram, owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, makes his second big-race appearance since finishing fourth to The Fugue in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot last month. The son of Shamardal was third behind Al Kazeem and Declaration Of War in the Eclipse twelve months ago and makes another effort to give Shaikh Hamdan a third success in the race after Nashwan (1989) and Elmaamul (1990).
Saeed Manana’s Night Of Thunder beat Kingman, who like The Fugue is trained by John Gosden, in the Guineas but caved in to same rival in the St James’s Palace Stakes over the same trip (1600m).
“Kingman is very good and put us firmly in our place at Ascot so rather than take him on again, we are going up in trip,” Hannon said on his website.
“Night Of Thunder has bounced back well and has pleased us in the little exercise he has done since Royal Ascot.
“We all feel that he has a good chance of staying the trip, and though he is a first foal, the dam is by Galileo, so there is every prospect on pedigree that he will get further than the mile.”
