Royal Ascot may be over for another year, but the Group 1 good times continue to roll into the summer months. The Curragh takes centre stage this weekend, as the County Kildare venue lays on the top-class duo of the Pretty Polly Stakes and Irish Derby.
With no British race rated above Group 3 level, racing fans seeking their Group 1 fix have little choice but to look to the Emerald Isle. However, that changes on the first weekend in July, as Sandown serves up a mid-summer sizzler.
First held in 1886 and under its current sponsorship since 1976, the 1m2f Coral-Eclipse boasts a mighty roll of honour, including 21st century heroes Sea The Stars, Enable, Golden Horn, and Giant’s Causeway.
A little over a week before the latest renewal, a few hints are emerging regarding the shape of the final field. If even half of the leading players stand their ground, racing fans are in for a treat in this £1 million contest.
Ombudsman to Provide Solution?
Field Of Gold posted the most scintillating display at Royal Ascot 2025 when leaving the St. James’s Palace Stakes field trailing in the wake of his long, grey stride. Quickly installed as favourite for this, he has just as quickly left the betting list. Rather than heading to Sandown, the John & Thady Gosden runner looks set to tackle the Sussex Stakes or Prix Jacques Le Marois.
With the most impressive Royal Ascot winner heading elsewhere, team Gosden may call upon the services of Ombudsman. Going in this famous Godolphin silks, this strapping four-year-old came with a thundering late rattle to claim the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. Five from six in his career to date, four from five over 1m2f, and a stunning Group 1 winner last time, the Night Of Thunder colt is the clear favourite at around 6/4.
Like Father Like Son for French Raider?
As strong as Ombudsman’s claims are, you don’t win the Coral Eclipse without overcoming a high-quality field. In 2025, the most significant threat may come from France.
Hailing from the yard of legendary French handler Andre Fabre, the Sea The Stars colt Sosie currently heads the betting for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Whilst not yet confirmed, the rumour mill suggests he may take in this assignment en route to the monumental Longchamp contest. Warming up for this with back-to-back Group 1 wins in his homeland, the son of the 2009 champ is the clear second favourite in most betting lists at around 3/1.
Don’t Discount Ballydoyle
Another British Group 1 event, and another contest in which Aidan O’Brien is out on his own as the most successful trainer in the history of the race. Heading into the 2025 edition, eight Coral-Eclipse prizes reside within the Ballydoyle Trophy Wing. If strength in numbers is any guide, there is a strong chance that the O’Brien tally will rise to nine at the end of the latest edition.
With no fewer than 11 entries, O’Brien could lay on a pretty decent edition of the Coral-Eclipse all on his own. Thankfully, that won’t happen but predicting which of the Ballydoyle runners will tackle this assignment isn’t straightforward.
Perhaps the two most likely to head to Sandown on 5th July are Camille Pissarro, who shone on his first crack at this trip when claiming the French Derby, and Delacroix, who flopped in the Derby but is a perfect two from two over 1m2f. The market can’t split the pair at present, with both runners available at around 8/1.
Harrington Contender Too Hot To Handle?
As tends to be the case in this race, the standard barely dips the further we move down the betting list. If there is a horse flying under the radar in 2025, it may be the Jessica Harrington-trained, Hotazhell.
This son of Too Darn Hot is out at 33/1 in the market, despite finishing in the frame in six of his seven career outings – the only exception came when in need of the run on his debut. During an impressive juvenile campaign, he thrashed no less a horse than Lambourn in the Beresford Stakes before mastering Delacroix in the Grade 1 Futurity Trophy. Third in the Irish 2000 Guineas on his seasonal return, he may need at least some rain to arrive but shouldn’t be dismissed lightly.
Others to note in a potential classic are one of the stars of 2024, Economics; Almaqam, who edged out Ombudsman in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, and the likeable seven-year-old Anmaat, who has filled the runners-up position in his two most recent Group 1 outings. A mouthwatering contest lies in wait!