Pacemaker For Authorized

Vodafone Derby winner Authorized will have the benefit of a pacemaker when he faces his next great challenge against George Washington in Saturday´s Coral-Eclipse.

Mark Johnston´s Champery has been supplemented at the cost of #20,000 and leased to Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar by Sheikh Mohammed, just like Authorized himself who was bought by the Sheikh´s Darley operation soon after he came home by a spellbinding five lengths at Epsom.

Tony Nerses, the owners´ racing manager, said: 'Sheikh Mohammed has kindly leased us Champery for the Eclipse, just to ensure a true and even pace. Joe Fanning will ride.

'Authorized is well and is going to have a blow tomorrow at Newmarket, then he will be done for the race.'

While Peter Chapple-Hyam´s charge will be dropping back to 10 furlongs from a mile and a half, his main market rival, the mercurial George Washington, will be doing the opposite.

Last year´s 2000 Guineas winner famously proved unproductive at stud and returned to training with Aidan O´Brien.

He has only tackled such a trip once, when sixth in the Breeders´ Cup Classic last November, but on his return at Royal Ascot he came with a flying finish to take fourth in the Queen Anne Stakes over a mile.

Of the 13 to have stood their ground, O´Brien is responsible for six and the Ballydoyle brigade could be further strengthened by Dylan Thomas, Admiralofthfleet, Archipenko, Duke Of Marmalade and Yellowstone.

Sir Michael Stoute´s Notnowcato could bid to go one place better than in 2006, while Mashaahed, Pressing and Clive Brittain´s Kandidate may also represent the older horses.

Derby fourth Lucarno is John Gosden´s sole entry.

Coral make Authorized 4-6 favourite from 8-11, while George Washington is 9-4 after being available at 2-1.

'We are delighted with the high-class entry for this year´s Coral-Eclipse, and the prospect of seeing the Derby hero taking on his elders for the first time is a mouth-watering one,' said spokesman David Stevens.

'It´s no surprise Authorized has been backed at odds-on, as his heavy ground win in the Racing Post Trophy last year means the Sandown ground will hold no fears.

'However, the sporting attitude of Aidan O´Brien and Coolmore in sending George Washington over whatever the conditions ensures the race will not lack spice.'

While the recent wet spell has been causing havoc up and down the country, clerk of the course Andrew Cooper reports conditions to be currently no worse than soft.

'We´ve just had a good walk of the track and at the moment the ground is a mixture of good to soft and soft,' he said.

'The round track on which the Coral-Eclipse is run I´d probably call good to soft and soft in places, and the sprint track would be soft and good to soft in places.

'The heaviest rain we´ve seen in the recent spell was on Saturday evening when we had the best part of 16 millimetres.

'It looks like we´ll have an unsettled start to the week, but things may settle down a bit towards the middle and end of the week.

'There are no issues with raceability, so we´ll just have to see how the weather develops.'

Coral-Eclipse, sponsors bet: 4-6 Authorized, 9-4 George Washington, 7-1 Notnowcato, 9-1 Duke Of Marmalade, 16-1 Lucarno, 20-1 Archipenko, 25-1 Yellowstone, 33-1 Admiralofthefleet, Mashaahed, 40-1 Pressing, 50-1 Champery, Kandidate.

(C) PA Sport