held up in rear, pulled to outer over 2f out, stayed on final furlong, no danger
in touch on inside, went second going well 3f out, led just over 2f out, hard driven final furlong, held on well
slowly into stride, held up in rear, effort towards inside over 1 furlong out, never reached leaders
soon led and set strong pace, headed just over 2f out, weakened over 1f out
mid division, headway over 2f out, stayed on to take third well inside final furlong, finished well
pulled hard, soon tracked leader, came wide into straight, edged sharply right over 2f out, losing place and beaten when badly hampered over 1f out
tracked leader for 2f, settled in third, bumped over 2f out, soon chased winner, rallied inside final furlong, stayed on
held up, effort 2f out, stayed on under pressure final furlong, finished well
in mid division, effort on inside to chase leaders from 2f out, one pace and lost three places well inside final furlong
held up in mid division, effort on inner when not much room 2f out, stayed on final furlong, not paced to trouble leaders
mid division, hard ridden 2f out, soon beaten
in touch on outside, driven 3f out, soon weakened
raced in fourth, not much room 2f out, losing place when hampered over 1f out
slowly into stride in rear, effort on outside 2f out, never going pace to reach leaders
towards rear and never going well, effort on outside and hard ridden 2f out, soon weakened
A tremendous line-up for the day's feature, in which Nayef can strike a blow for the older horses. But first a bit of background. Run at Sandown in July, the Eclipse Stakes carries the name of the first superstar of British horseracing and is the oldest ten-furlong Group 1 contest in the racing calendar. It provides an opportunity for the three-year-old generation to test themselves against the older horses for the first time at Group 1 level during the season. Many of the true equine greats have won the race including, since 1970, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Sadler's Wells, Pebbles, Dancing Brave, Mtoto, Nashwan, Halling, Daylami and Giant's Causeway. Eclipse was foaled in 1764 and was named after the great eclipse that occurred in that year. Owned during his racing career by an adventurer and gambler called Dennis O'Kelly (an army man who was later to become Colonel O'Kelly), Eclipse was unbeaten in 18 races, many of them walkovers as the opposition considered it pointless taking him on. He accumulated a fortune for his owner through massive gambles and stud revenues. Once retired, he made an immediate impact at stud by siring three of the first five winners of the Derby, and most of the great horses in the last 100 years can trace their bloodlines back to him. As such, his status as a true great of the sport is unquestionable. This year's field does him great justice. Nayef comes here on the back of a win in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, having won last year's 'International' at York, and being beaten a whisker in the 'King George'. The field also includes the Japan Cup winner, Falbrav, last season's top juvenile Hold That Tiger who, along with the Derby fifth Balestrini, is looking to give Aidan O'Brien his third win in the race in four years. Godolphin are represented by last year's Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes winner, Grandera, while Sir Michael Stoute runs last year's dual Group 1 winner and this year's Prince Of Wales's Stakes third, Islington. Add to all this the Derby fourth and sixth, Norse Dancer and Dutch Gold, plus a number of other high-quality performers, then you have a field to savour. It should be a great race and the selection is Nayef, his biggest dangers possibly being Islington and Norse Dancer.
