Roger Teal believes Steele Tango is no forlorn hope despite facing Sea The Stars and company in the Coral-Eclipse.

Steele Tango may be 150-1 with Ladbrokes for the Group One at Sandown on Saturday, but he has run well at the Esher venue in the past against top-class opposition.

The four-year-old has run respectably in both the Gordon Richards Stakes and the Brigadier Gerard over the Eclipse course this season and Teal believes his charge should not be written off.

"We've got to have a go. I know he's a long shot but he deserves to take his chance. I would say he'd be a lively outsider," said the trainer.

"In the Brigadier Gerard he ran an absolute blinder. If he puts that performance in he'll run a good, solid race again.

"He was a good second in the Earl of Sefton and I know he didn't get placed in the Brigadier Gerard but that was his best run and I hope he can reproduce that. I'm sure he won't embarrass us anyway."

Teale revealed Steele Tango cut his head on leaving the stalls when disappointing on his last run in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

"You can forget his last race as it was a bit of a mess. He cut his head open on the stalls. He lunged forward just as the gates were about to open and bashed himself," Teal explained.

"It wouldn't have helped his cause and he may have run the race concussed and I'm not sure he stayed the mile and a half at that pace because they went a blistering gallop.

"I've freshened him up since Ascot, I've not done much with him and he seems to be in grand order. The owners are looking forward to the day, we are going to enjoy it and hopefully we'll get rewarded."

The trainer is delighted to have acquired the services of Darryll Holland for this weekend, a jockey who has won the Eclipse twice on Compton Admiral (1999) and Falbrav (2003).

"I've always wanted Darryll to ride this horse and I've got my man this time so we'll have a go and enjoy the day. It's going to be tough, but we'll have a crack," Teale added.