Coral-Eclipse tips: Horse-by-horse guide to Sandown Group 1 on Saturday July 5

By Matt Brocklebank

Horse Racing

Sat July 05, 2025 · 6M ago

Matt Brocklebank runs the rule over the final field for Saturday's Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

OMBUDSMAN (John & Thady Gosden)

Form: 111-21

Was that electric turn of foot on show in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes a by-product of being held onto (deliberately or otherwise) until well into the final furlong, or did we witness the emerge of a true superstar at Royal Ascot? It's the key question when addressing this weekend's feature as the Godolphin first-string (we can call him that for now) is priced up as very much the horse to beat. That's in spite of being held by almost two lengths behind the reopposing Almaqam in the Brigadier Gerard the time before and while Ed Walker's horse will be 3lb worse off this weekend, I can't help but think their price discrepancy is a shade too great, especially back on this track where arriving with a late burst tends to be a bit harder to execute successfully.

SOSIE (Andre Fabre)

Form: 114-11

Undoubtedly one of the best older horses in training and he's already among the market leaders for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe this autumn having been fourth to Bluestocking when sent off favourite for the Longchamp showpiece last October. Has shown eyecatching versatility over shorter distances so far this weekend, winning back-to-back Group 1s on his home patch, but has never raced outside of France and could just lack a gear at a crucial stage if the rain stays away as anticipated.

CAMILLE PISSARRO (Aidan O’Brien)

Form: 21-231

The Prix du Jockey Club winner is shortest-priced runner of the three-year-olds in here, that generation having won the last four and nine of the most recent 20 runnings of the Coral-Eclipse. Whereas some of the Ballydoyle three-year-old colts have gone backwards, this son of Wootton Bassett has steadily blossomed in his Classic campaign and showed he stays 10 furlongs well at Chantilly. Timeform called the ground 'good to firm' for his slightly unlucky run when a close (and closing) third in the French Guineas at Longchamp so conditions aren't really a concern and he's not tied down to a tactical preference either. It's not hard to see him going off shorter than the 13/2 currently available with a couple of major firms.

DELACROIX (Aidan O’Brien)

Form: 12-119

Not many horses pick up the Eclipse on a retrieval mission and you're going back to Roaring Lion in 2018 for the most recent winner to be beaten on their previous outing. The Gosden grey was at least placed in the Derby whereas this colt could manage only ninth at Epsom and for all that he looked potentially the real deal in his warm-up races during the spring, he suddenly has an awful lot to prove and could be biting off more than he can chew in such strong company.

HOTAZHELL (Jessica Harrington)

Form: 1211-3

Having run half a dozen times at two, claiming Group 1 glory in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, he wasn't quite at the same level on his belated seasonal debut in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Could step forward considerably from the Curragh but suspicion is that it still won't be enough and maybe his juvenile peak will be difficult to surpass this time around.

RULING COURT (Charlie Appleby)

Form: 13-113

Highly promising in two starts last year and, following a winter triumph out in Dubai, he returned to win the 2000 Guineas, beating subsequent St James's Palace winner Field Of Gold, albeit in slightly fortuitous circumstances at Newmarket (William Buick masterclass, in fairness). Skipped the Derby due to stamina fears before connections claimed they felt he needed more of a test after Field Of Gold gained his revenge at Royal Ascot. Perhaps this trip will be his optimum but he now has to prove himself as a genuine top-class three-year-old colt all over again and is facing some fierce opposition at the same time.

Verdict

CAMILLE PISSARRO
Ombudsman
Sosie

Aidan O'Brien's CAMILLE PISSARRO could be the one to cause the older horses some problems. Beaten in the Coventry, the Gimcrack and a sales race among others before winning a Group 1 on Arc weekend last autumn, he's gradually made his way through the grades again this time around and got the job done in quite taking fashion at Chantilly on his first try at this 10-furlong trip.

The weight-for-age allowance is a massive leveller in this event and the son of Wootton Bassett looks well up to holding his own against the pick of the older horses. Ryan Moore is absolutely lethal on this course when it comes to fending off the closers so Ombudsman and Sosie could have their work cut out in such a scenario.

Updated at 1008 BST on 03/07/25

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