TOMORROW sees the most fascinating contest with the return of Enable against a top class field in the Eclipse Stakes. Show me your Derby and I’ll raise you an Eclipse any day! Some of the greatest races have come at Sandown, from seeing Derby winners confirmed champions – Mill Reef, Dancing Brave, Nashwan, Sea The Stars, Golden Horn , to outstanding three-year-olds, Sadler’s Wells, Giant’s Causeway and Roaring Lion.
And great races when all came together like Mtoto versus Reference Point back in 1997. And the fillies got a look in too. Who could forget Pebbles.
The intrigue in tomorrow’s race is tactics. Great horses have won the Eclipse, very good horses have been beaten – the fillies Park Top and Bosra Sham, Ouija Board, all with form comments ‘ran into trouble’ – even with jockeys of the calibre of Piggott, Soumillon and Fallon on board.More recently we had Paul Hanagan grabbing a more unlikely win on Mukhadram in 2014 by out-thinking the field.
How will tomorrow play – how fast will Ghaiyyath go? How much rope can Frankie give him? And how will Ballydoyle play it? Fascinating race.
Sarah O’ Connell@sazoconnell
Huge credit to @InfoArqana & @GoffsUK for coming together & performing so well in such challenging times Thanks so much to our team, partners & buyers. This gig ain’t for the faint hearted.
Rod Street@Rods_Tweet
As well as the evergreen Frankie Dettori, racing now has a plethora of young, co-operative and articulate jockeys who are doing a great job of promoting the sport. It’s so refreshing.
Tony Byles@1844DerbyFraud
Every runner, bar one (Worthily) in the Derby, is a direct male line descendant of Northern Dancer, so I will be hoping he wins. His dam, Vignette is also dam of St.Leger winner, Lucarno.