Eclipse preview Aidan O'Brien bids for another success in the Coral-Eclipse with Verrazano and War Command at Sandown on Saturday. The master of Ballydoyle has saddled five previous Eclipse winners in Giant's Causeway (2000), Hawk Wing (2002), Oratorio (2005), Mount Nelson (2008) and So You Think (2011). American import Verrazano steps up in trip having finished second in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, while War Command was behind the reopposing Night Of Thunder at Newmarket and at Ascot. O'Brien said: "We're very happy with War Command and Verrazano and think they are progressing well." Another intriguing challenger for Ireland is Trading Leather, who runs in the Godolphin blue for trainer Jim Bolger. Last year's Irish Derby winner suffered an odds-on reverse on his seasonal reappearance in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket, but Bolger expects considerable improvement. He said: "He is in good form, I'm very happy with him. He was too fresh the last day, but he's fine now. When he dropped in they pulled up in front and it was just a mess of a race from there. This will be a better-run race, so we're hoping for a better run. We'd be hoping that the ground stays good, if it doesn't we'll have a problem. It looks a race to savour." Night Of Thunder steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time . The 2000 Guineas hero engaged in a fascinating rematch with Newmarket runner-up Kingman at Royal Ascot, but he was clear-second best in the St James's Palace Stakes. His connections are confident the extra distance is within his compass, with his trainer Richard Hannon telling Racing UK: "He's the sort of horse you don't really notice, and I think that's what will stand him in good stead for Saturday - the fact that he is so relaxed and he's very economical when he races. He gives himself every chance of staying a mile and a quarter. "At Ascot he was beaten fair and square, just beaten by a better horse on the day. I don't think you could say we were unlucky in any way. He (Kingman) is an exceptional horse, but our fellow is very good. "Hughesie (Richard Hughes) had a job pulling him up after the line so that suggests to me he might be crying out for this mile and a quarter. My worry is that it might get a bit rough around that top bend, he's not massively experienced. We like our horse and hopefully there's more to come with this change in trip." John Gosden is under no illusions about the task facing Irish Champion Stakes heroine The Fugue as she aims to follow up last month's Royal Ascot triumph. The five-year-old clinched her fourth Group One victory with a brilliant display in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and is due to turn out less than three weeks later, providing ground conditions do not deteriorate. "It's only two and a half weeks since Ascot and remember that when they go and break track records, even if it looks as if they've done it easily, it's a big ask," Gosden told Betfred TV. "I always feel these races are quite concertinaed, but we are happy with her. "She wasn't well when she ran in the race last year. Going into it her blood tests and everything were perfect, but it wasn't so perfect coming out of the race. That can happen, they can be literally incubating something and it doesn't show in any tests the day before, yet with the stress of the journey and the race it explodes. "She's won an awful lot of Group Ones since."
