Andrew Asquith, John Ingles and David Ord assess this weekend's action from Sandown, Newmarket and Saint-Cloud.
What’s your take on the Coral-Eclipse after the final decs?
Andrew Asquith: I think Constitution River will be hard to beat. Admittedly, he was more workmanlike in the French Derby last time, but the time before at Chester he looked very, very good and that performance was backed up by a good time. He’s still only five starts into his career, so there should be even more improvement in him, and he looks a bit too professional for Gethin in my opinion, who needs to learn how to settle.
John Ingles: Constitution River is on a roll and was impressive when landing the odds in the Dee Stakes, but I thought he was no more than workmanlike in the Prix du Jockey Club last time, so he’ll have to raise his game again up against some very smart older rivals. That’s quite possible of course, but at the odds I’d rather be with either Gethin or Saddadd who have really solid form and have both taken a big step forward from last year. Gethin’s still not the finished article, and the way he made Ombudsman pull out all the stops in the Brigadier Gerard here last time, albeit getting weight, suggests he’ll give the favourite plenty to think about.
David Ord: It’s intriguing that Aidan O’Brien has elected to run both Hawk Mountain and Constitution River but if the Hawk was ever to beat his stable-companion you sense it was in the French Derby last time. The winner may not have shown the gears he did at Chester the time before but still got the job done and if there’s an A-Lister in the field it’s him. Gethin and Saddadd are solid older horses and newcomers at this level but I’ll be surprised and disappointed if the favourite doesn’t win this.
Could we have one to note on the Coral-Eclipse undercard?
Andrew Asquith: I put Tribal Chief up in the Coral Challenge in my Weekend View column earlier in the week and I think he’s got a really good chance now knowing the draw. He does need luck in running given the way he’s ridden, and he can be slowly away, but he’s put up a couple of cracking efforts in top-end handicaps this season and the way he ran on at Ascot last time suggests he’ll relish this return to a mile at a track which has a stiff finish. Tribal Chief hasn’t been raised in the weights for those efforts and is surely well handicapped.
John Ingles: Pacific Mission probably sets the standard in the Coral Distaff (15:00) but her two runs this year haven’t matched what she showed at two when runner-up at the Breeders’ Cup, so Ralph Beckett’s filly Secret of Life looks an interesting alternative. She has won both her starts in ready fashion, including a novice at Haydock on her return in May, and being out of a smart Galileo mare who won at Group 3 level in France, she’ s bred to appreciate the step up to a mile and holds some bigger entries later in the summer.
David Ord: Like Andy, I like Tribal Chief in the Coral Challenge. There are a couple of improvers in here against him but he has shaped as though there’s a race of this nature in him the last twice, including when third at Ascot last time after meeting with trouble in running. The forecast strong pace is a definite plus, he’ll need luck in running but with a clear shot at things he’s handicapped to win this.
Anything you fancy on the re-routed Old Newton Cup card at Newmarket?
Andrew Asquith: I was disappointed this morning to see my original fancy, Noble Horizon, wasn’t declared, so now my attention has been switched to Plage de Havre. He won this race 12 months ago at its usual home Haydock and he shaped well behind short-priced favourite Klassleader at York last time. He’s now 9lb better off with that rival and his run style will be suited to the July Course at Newmarket where prominent runners have a good record over middle distances.
John Ingles: Emma Lavelle’s filly Silver Ghost has a solid record at Newmarket, both on the Rowley Mile and the July Course, so the transfer of the meeting is good news for her. She was placed on the other track at HQ in both her starts in May and looked unlucky when going down by a neck to Superposition on her last run after finishing well from off the pace but conceding first run to the winner. She’s only a couple of pounds higher here and comes out clear top in the Timeform ratings for the seven-furlong handicap (16:25) so she can get her head in front with David Egan back on board.
David Ord: I have but you have to wait to the very last race for it. Proud Nation is a horse Richard Fahey has an awful lot of time for and we certainly haven’t seen the best of him yet. He was slowly away and finished with plenty of petrol left in the tank at Chester last time. That run is sure to have advanced his education and he’s going to prove better than this mark – hopefully starting on Saturday.
Are you for or against Calandagan in Sunday’s Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud?
Andrew Asquith: You have to forgive his run at Epsom last time in my opinion given the ground went against him and he wasn’t given a hard time when it looked clear he wasn’t going to win. The opposition he faces on Sunday is much inferior to what he’s achieved and he’ll likely be hard to beat given what level he reached and how good he looked in doing so prior to the Coronation Cup.
John Ingles: It’s easy to put a line through his run on deteriorating ground in the Coronation Cup so I’m very much with him to bounce back. After all, both Illinois and, to a lesser extent, Jan Brueghel, both managed to do just that at Royal Ascot after underperforming in the same race. Calandagan began his winning streak in this race last year when stretching clear to beat Aventure and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the same pair finishing one-two again.
David Ord: Very much for. He’s the best horse in the race and I thought Mickael Barzalona looked after him from a long way out once it was clear it wasn’t going to be his day at Epsom last time. You hate seeing a star horse run like that but there were valid excuses and this looks the perfect opening to get him back on the up before the King George at Ascot.
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