Coral-Eclipse Tips: Will Ombudsman Continue Winning Streak? The Coral Eclipse, the first Group 1 of the season which allows the three-year-olds to take on older opposition, has a long and illustrious history, having first been run in 1886. The 1m2f event, which is named after Eclipse, a celebrated 18th-century racehorse, has been won by some of the leading names in horse racing; Sea The Stars, Enable and City Of Troy all featuring on the roll of honour this century. A small but select field of six will contest Saturday’s renewal, the market headed by John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman, who ran out a most impressive winner of the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. Coral-Eclipse Tips NAP: Ombudsman Next Best: Camille Pissarro Coral Betting Offer If you already have a Coral account, check out more of the best betting sites and online casinos Ombudsman hard to oppose The John and Thady Gosden-trained OMBUDSMAN put up one of the performances of the season so far when winning the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot last month - his first Group 1 victory - building on the promise he showed when runner-up in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes over this course-and-distance in May on his reappearance. He earned a Racing Post Rating of 130 for his Ascot success and that puts him well ahead of his rivals on the book, a statistic supported by his official mark of 128; 7lb higher than both Sosie and Ruling Court, who are comfortably clear of the rest. Unraced as a juvenile, he’s repaid that patience in no uncertain terms, winning five of his six career starts and improving with every run. The forecast for rain is of no concern to him, the son of Night Of Thunder having won the Group 3 Prix du Prince d'Orange at Longchamp last autumn on ground officially described as soft. Tactics will likely play a part on Saturday, but he’s versatile in terms of how he can be ridden and isn’t short of gears. It’s hard to say he’s value at around even money, though he’s much the likeliest winner for a yard that has tasted victory in this race on four occasions since 2012 (Nathaniel, Golden Horn, Roaring Lion and Enable). O’Brien pair demand respect Aidan O’Brien is seeking an unprecedented ninth win in the race and is doubly represented, French 2,000 Guineas third and subsequent French Derby winner, CAMILLE PISSARRO accompanied by Delaxroix, who is on something of a retrieval mission having been a beaten favourite in the Derby at Epsom last time. Ryan Moore is staying loyal to Delacroix, but there’s rain in the forecast on Saturday and a chance of easy ground, which might just suit Camille Pissarro that bit more. A son of sire of the moment Wootten Bassett, out of a Pivotal mare, he landed the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on soft ground at Longchamp last October, a race in which the outstanding Field Of Gold could finish only fourth. He comes here off the back of a career best at Chantilly over 10.5f, his first try beyond a mile and whilst that still leaves him with a fair bit to find with Ombudsman, he remains open to untold further improvement at this distance. Delacroix drops back in trip and he’d very likely have been challenging for favouritism had he not run so poorly at Epsom, when he was one of the first beaten. His defeat of dual Derby hero Lambourn over this distance in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown in March is excellent form and a return to a more conventional track is a definite positive. He was beaten a nose by the reopposing Hotazhell in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy Stakes on soft ground at Doncaster last October, though Jessica Harrington’s colt has been completely ignored in the betting, much the biggest price of the six runners at 33/1, albeit he does have stamina doubts at this trip. Arc favourite The participation of current Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Sosie adds some spice to an already fascinating renewal, Andre Fabre’s colt bidding to follow in the footsteps of Vadeni, who won this for France in 2022. The four-year-old recorded a personal best when winning the Prix d'Ispahan over 1m1f at Longchamp in May, beating a stablemate of Ombudsman, Sardinian Warrior. A three-time Group 1 winner, he’ll be suited by a return to this longer trip and relishes soft ground, so the more rain, the better.
