The 2025 Coral Eclipse is run on Saturday at Sandown. One of the most enthralling Group 1s of every flat season, the contest has been steeped in history since its inaugural running in 1886. GG tipster Joe Napier previews this year’s race below, giving his 1-2-3 verdict.
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Favourites
There is only one place to start after his recent Royal Ascot success, and that is with Ombudsman. The four-year-old was still a relatively unknown quantity going into this season having won all four starts up to Group 3 level last season. However, after a promising return over course and distance in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, he burst into life at the royal meeting.
There, having been held up off the pace and run into traffic problems up the straight, he still ruthlessly overcame his adversity in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, his first top tier contest. Ultimately, he won by two lengths, but his run could be upgraded further based on his trouble in-running.
He now sets a clear form standard with there being more to come. However, French raider Sosie has also impressed this term. Andre Fabre’s charge went off favourite for the Arc last term, finishing fourth, but is two from two this season at Longchamp, landing the Prix Ganay over 1m2½f and the Prix d’Ispahan over 1m1f. Both are Group 1s and the latter form has been boosted collaterally, while he did the job emphatically.
Contenders
The market will react significantly to which of Camille Pissarro or Delacroix Ryan Moore decides to ride for Aidan O’Brien. Both have their merits; the former won the Prix Du Jockey Club (French Derby) at the start of June, continuing his progressive three-year-old form, while the latter had cleaned up two Leopardstown Derby trials over this distance before finding Epsom far from his liking in a trappy Classic. He will likely bounce back from that.
It is remarkable to think of a 2000 Guineas winner as an outsider but Ruling Court was disappointing in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. There were probably excuses though, as he had been trained for the Derby up until a week-and-a-half before, being pulled from Epsom just two hours before the race. This trip looks set to suit him better though and he clearly possesses a fair amount of class to have been able to defeat Field Of Gold in any circumstances.
Hotazhell is the final member of the sextet, but is no forlorn hope. Plenty of his two-year-old form has worked out very well, including beating Delacroix to win the Group 1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster last October and his third in the Irish 20000 Guineas suggested he had trained on.
Verdict
Although his only defeat came over course and distance, there is reason enough to excuse that effort from OMBUDSMAN, whose subsequent success at Royal Ascot was blistering, He looks set to be a multiple Group 1 winner on that evidence and his rivals have thinned since declarations. Second choice is fellow Godolphin runner and 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court upped to 1m2f, as he shaped like he desperately needed further in the St James’s Palace Stakes and still holds high class potential. Delacroix should bounce back from his poor run in the Derby and could well be the pace angle.
- Ombudsman
- Ruling Court
- Delacroix
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