The Coral-Eclipse 2025 has the potential to be a cracker this year, and so it should be for such a special race.
The Eclipse is the first time we get to see the three-year-olds take on their elders at Group 1 level, and this year’s field is full of potential and different form lines. It’s beautiful.
Below, I highlight my Coral-Eclipse fancy, as well as three other bets across Sandown and Haydock.
Let’s go.
Coral-Eclipse Day Selections
1:50 Sandown – Kerdos @ 7/2 with William Hill – 1pt Win
Embed from Getty ImagesIs Kerdos just the best horse in the Group 3 Coral Charge? Quite possibly.
Last season, he finished fifth in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes, fifth in the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes, fourth in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes, and sixth in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye.
Before that, he won the Group 2 Temple Stakes, and in the 2023-24 season, he won the Listed Beverley Bullett and was fifth to Highfield Princess at Goodwood.
That’s a stellar book of form, and he now drops back into Group 3 company having finished a fine fifth in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last month from the wrong side of the track.
This looks like a winnable race, and he has no penalty to shoulder as well, which is handy. If he runs to the same number as he did at Ascot, he could be hard to beat here.
3:00 Sandown – Bermuda Longtail @ 7/1 with BoyleSports (3 places) – 1pt EW
Embed from Getty ImagesIf Bermuda Longtail can put her Epsom disappointment behind her, she must have a very good chance in the Listed Coral Distaff at Sandown.
Every horse deserves forgiveness for one run, so I can put a line through her Epsom effort, especially at such a unique course.
Before that, the Hello Youmzain three-year-old finished a good second to Kon Tiki in the Listed Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes. The front three pulled well clear that day, and the third, Troia, has won a Listed race at Longchamp since.
Furthermore, the fourth, Consecrated, beat Cajole, one of Bermuda Longtail’s rivals, at Newbury on debut. Based on that, Bermuda Longtail has a good chance of beating Cajole.
Bermuda Longtail also beat Dash Of Azure at Kempton in October, and she has since gone on to finish fifth behind Never Let Go and Cajole in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot.
All this form looks rather attractive, and with her 7/1 price, she’s worth backing each-way.
3:15 Haydock – Chillingham @ 10/1 with William Hill (5 places) – 0.5pt EW
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Old Newton Cup isn’t a vintage race this year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if anything won, but Chillingham is the one that appeals the most on paper.
He returned to form nicely when second past the post in the Queen Mother’s Cup Handicap last month, and he has since been handed the race as My Dream World was subsequently disqualified due to whip misuse from Megan Jordan.
He was staying on all the way at York last time out, and that was with a first-time visor applied which is retained here. The handicapper has given him four pounds for the effort, but Archie Young takes the ride for the first time, and his useful five-pound claim is very helpful here.
It feels like this six-year-old son of Ulysses has been around for a long time, and while his Queen Mother’s Cup ‘win’ was his first since April 2023, his form with Vauban (2023 Copper Horse Stakes), Crystal Delight (2024 Jorvik Handicap), and Not So Sleepy (2024 Autumn Cup) is pretty strong in this context.
Furthermore, the expected heavy rain at Haydock tonight will help him as he has run well with cut underfoot before.
At the prices, he’s very interesting at 10/1.
3:35 Sandown – Sosie @ 9/2 with William Hill – 1pt Win
Embed from Getty ImagesThis year’s Coral-Eclipse looked like a very strong race at the five-day entries stage, and while the lack of Anmaat and Almaqam has taken some of the shine off things, it’s still a good race.
Cases can be made for every one of the six runners, but my vote goes to Sosie, and I hope this Saturday will start his charge towards the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Although he is trained in France, and he has three wins on soft ground, the Sea The Stars four-year-old won on pretty quick ground (officially good to soft, according to the Racing Post) in the Group 1 Prix Ganay in April and Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan.
He comes into the Coral-Eclipse as a fresh horse (41-day break vs Ombudsman’s 17-day break), and John & Thady Gosden’s stable form should be noted.
They haven’t had any winners since Trawlerman’s Gold Cup victory (0/17), while Andre Fabre’s strike rate is steady at 11%.
In what is a hot race, Sosie is my pick to down Ombudsman and Delacroix.
