Betfair Official Blog

Brittain confident of Kandidate's credentials

Clive Brittain believes Kandidate is worth his place in Saturday's Eclipse and that the globetrotting five-year-old is in the best form of his life.

Although Authorized is a strong odds-on chance for success in the 1m 2f contest, the Newmarket handler thinks history can be against horses completing the Derby/Eclipse double.

"I always think it's worth taking on the Derby winner on his first run since Epsom because it can go pear-shaped," said Brittain.

"You don't win races staying in the box and every good thing can be beaten. I'm not saying they will, but they can be. We're there to do our best and give them a run."

Kandidate has never shied away from a challenge and on his last two starts put in solid performances - behind Invasor in the Dubai World Cup in March before running creditably behind Shadow Gate in the Singapore Airlines International Cup in his last outing.

"He's come back from Singapore as strong as I've ever had him," Brittain continued.

"There won't be a lot of runners but it's pretty solid and I am really looking forward to it.

"This is what racing is all about, running a horse in a good race which you think has got a chance - irrespective of what anyone else thinks."

Candidate currently trades at 32 to give Brittain his second Eclipse success after Pebbles won 22 years ago.

The market position of Authorized has strengthened recently with the news that George Washington may miss the contest due to the prevailing soft conditions with the colt trading at a prohibitive 1.5.

George Washington, who had traded as low as 3 for Sandown's showpiece, has drifted alarming of late and can be backed at 16.