Coral-Eclipse World Pool preview and tip: Gethin to strike at Sandown?

For the second time in a week Owen Burrows will attempt to break Aidan O’Brien’s stranglehold on the sport’s biggest races when he saddles Gethin in Saturday’s £1 million Coral-Eclipse.

Raaheeb ultimately proved disappointing in last weekend’s Irish Derby but the Wathnan-owned Gethin holds realistic claims of preventing Aidan O’Brien winning the race for a record-breaking fourth successive victory in the Group 1 contest.

O’Brien relies on French Derby one-two Constitution River and Hawk Mountain, with 150/1 chance Flushing Meadows appearing to be in the race for pacemaking duties.

Three-year-olds have won the past five renewals of the Eclipse, four of which have been trained by Aidan O’Brien, so Gethin faces no easy task in his bid to strike back for the older brigade.

However, it’s arguable that Gethin brings the strongest piece of form into this race and there is stacks of scope for even better still, after just six starts. His neck second to the mighty Ombudsman in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes is red-hot form even though he was getting 7lb from the winner. Gethin stuck to his task admirably despite having raced quite freely through the early stages of that contest and the front two pulled three lengths clear of third-placed Almeric.

This is Gethin’s first crack at a top-level prize but it’s significant that connections have chosen the Coral Eclipse because it’s the race his sire Ghaiyyath won in 2020 - coincidentally the last time a horse older than three years of age won the race.

There is no doubt that Gethin will need to produce a career-best if he’s going to concede 10lb to the three-year-olds, but these are his conditions and the stage is set for him to produce the sort of show-stopping performance that his trainer believes he is capable of.

Constitution River looks set to go off a short-priced favourite to provide Aidan O’Brien with a remarkable tenth Coral-Eclipse success after his Prix Du Jockey Club heroics. Stall 15 appeared to be a huge barrier for the Wootton Bassett colt but he was the beneficiary of a Ryan Moore masterclass in the saddle and he was always holding stablemate Hawk Mountain through the final furlong of that contest.

Moore retains the partnership at Sandown, where connections appear set to ensure a strong gallop with Flushing Meadows, who has not managed to his debut success in six subsequent runs.  

That strong gallop will also play to the strengths of French Derby fourth A Boy Named Susie, who would have finished closer at Chantilly were it not for trouble in running as he tried to make headway up the inside. He once again has the services of Oisin Murphy, who was on board when the Starspangledbanner colt finished third behind Christmas Day in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.

Saddadd, like Gethin, is a relatively lightly-raced four-year-old that brings strong course form to the table courtesy of his win in the Gordon Richards Stakes and there was plenty to like about his staying-on third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. 

Recommended Bet: Back Gethin to win Saturday's Coral-Eclipse.