Hollie Doyle blog: Ombudsman too good for Eclipse rivals
The Coral-Eclipse takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon and our ambassador has provided her verdict on the coveted Group One prize, as well as a handful of her rides at Sandown Park.
Friday 4 July 2025 13:24, UK
Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle has a good book of rides at Sandown Park this weekend and has provided her verdict ahead of a quality weekend of flat action.
OMBUDSMAN TOO GOOD FOR ECLIPSE RIVALS
The brilliance of Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales' Stakes at Royal Ascot makes him impossible to oppose in the Group One Coral-Eclipse (3.45pm) at Sandown on Saturday.
John and Thady Gosden's Godolphin star looks open to even more improvement on only his third start of the season which is quite a thought for a horse already rated 128.
His obvious danger is the classy French colt Sosie who looked smart in the Group One Prix Ganay and the Group One Prix d'Ispahan, when he got the better of the Gosdens' Sardinian Warrior.
I don't think that form is anywhere near as strong as Ombudsman's, however, so I can't see how he can bridge a seven-pound ratings gap off level weights.
HANDICAP DEBUT FOR CLASS DROPPER NEBRAS
My boss Imad Alsagar's Dubawi colt Nebras runs in a handicap for the first time at Sandown on Saturday following a disappointing performance in Listed company at the track in May.
I'm hoping the three-year-old can pull it all together when he steps back up to a mile and a quarter in the Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap (5.15pm) off a mark of 97.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, he felt good when I rode him up the Al Bahathri gallop in Newmarket last week and will be a force if he can get back to the level of form he showed over the same trip in the Listed Newmarket Stakes two starts ago.
BETTER GROUND IDEAL FOR TRIBAL
I'm back on Bradsell's brother Tribal Rhythm in the Coral Challenge Handicap (2.25pm) over one mile at Sandown.
The ground was just too loose for him when I rode him at Epsom last month but he won there on good going for my husband Tom (Marquand) in April so should enjoy better conditions this time.
Denis Coakley's lightly-raced gelding has been dropped to a mark of 78 and gets plenty of weight off his rivals so should run well.
HOPING NORTHWEST CAN GO IN RIGHT DIRECTION
They don't come much more consistent than Northwest Passage who is out to shed his maiden tag at the tenth attempt in the Coral 'Pipped At The Post' And Win Handciap (4.45pm) at Sandown.
Roger Teal's colt hasn't been blessed with the best of draws in stall 12 but didn't do much wrong in a Goodwood handicap in May.
He's three-pound higher this time so needs to build on his fourth over a longer trip at Windsor last time but is another who is receiving a lot of weight from the market principals.
ETERNAL DESERVED ITALIAN PRIZE
It was great to fly over to Italy last weekend to win the Listed Premio Estate - Memorial Arturo Brambilla at the San Siro on Eternal Elixir for my guv'nor Archie Watson and owner Salem Rashid Bin Ghadayer.
The three-year-old had been gelded since finishing second in a Group Three in Germany and then sixth in the German 2,000 Guineas and deserved this stakes breakthrough.
Now rated 102, I'm not sure what Archie has in mind for him next, but he looks the type to continue to run well in stakes races abroad.
