Events / Graham Cunningham / 03 July 2009 /

Plenty of Derby winners have failed to add Sandown's Eclipse Stakes to their roll call of honours, so what does Racing UK analyst Graham Cunningham make of the Epsom winner's chances? Read that and five suggested bets here...

Erhaab tried and failed. So did Benny The Dip, while Motivator and Authorized also joined the list of Derby winners eclipsed when bidding to follow up in the Coral-Eclipse. Three of the four went off odds on for the Sandown showpiece and Sea The Stars looks set to do likewise. Racing UK analyst Graham Cunningham analyses the big race and the best of the rest of the weekend action.

* * *

Is there really a strong betting edge to be found in the Coral-Eclipse?

Personally, I'm a little sceptical. Granted, Sandown tends to throw up tight finishes even when the favourite seems to have something in hand and the Eclipse in particular is seldom won without the winner having to graft hard.

But the more I look at the Sandown showpiece the more I feel Sea The Stars is just the price he ought to be at a shade over [1.8] as he bids to become the first horse since Nashwan in 1989 to add the Eclipse to his Guineas and Derby successes.

It's interesting to note that Timeform feel Conduit's best form would have been good enough to land the last five renewals - and I can't envisage a finish in which he isn't involved in some way - but the last five renewals didn't contain Sea The Stars.

Rip Van Winkle is at least two lengths inferior to John Oxx's charge based on the Guineas and Derby and, for all that his reputation is sky high, Aidan O'Brien plainly needs to coax something extra from him in order to win this for the fourth time in ten years.

Cima de Triomphe will do very well to confirm recent course form with Conduit on 7lb worse terms, but the question remains the same.

So, is there a betting edge in the Coral-Eclipse? The presence of two pacemakers for Rip Van Winkle and one for Conduit suggests the gallop will be severe.

That will surely enable the cream to rise to the top in the final furlong. My head says Sea The Stars is the real deal and that his combination of pace and power could prove overwhelming if the ground stays good or faster.

But the value hound in me suggests that a small bet to win and a bigger one to place on Conduit might be the canny play.

* * *

High summer Saturdays offer punters a bewildering array of punting opportunities and it's important to have a list of options printed on your mind as early as possible.

Five angles which strike me as worth exploring in the other big races at Sandown and Haydock are as follows...

1: Victoria Montoya (Sandown 4.20)

Andrew Balding's filly bolted up from a good subsequent winner over a mile-and- three-quarters at Newmarket and ran a cracker behind a horse who has won again since over the same distance here last time. She looks as if she is more than ready for a step up to two miles and, given that the handicapper has left her alone for that recent defeat, anyone who takes an early price will have bright prospects of saving their stake in running at around [3.0] on a filly who looks to be primed for a career best here.

2: Masta Plasta (Sandown 2.05)

Triple Aspect will corner a chunk of the market here - and understandably so - but he raced lazily early on here last time and any more rain would be a concern. By contrast, Masta Plasta would be well served by further showers. He has looked back to his best of late and his early pace will give him clear back to lay potential if Adrian Nicholls can get him across to press for the lead from stall five.

3: Raaeidd (Sandown 5.30)

Following horses from a yard who have suddenly hit top form after a quiet spell often pays dividends and that is the angle with this colt. Raaeidd was in fine form during the spring and caught the eye travelling powerfully for a long way when third in a hot handicap at York, but his stable weren't truly firing at the time. The Jarvis horses have staged a major revival recently, so it's fair to expect an improved performance from a lightly raced horse with plenty going for him off a mark of 82.

4: Alfathaa (Sandown 2.40)

Yes, this is a fiercely open handicap in which Huzzah and Mirrored loom large as serious dangers, but Alfathaa caught the eye travelling sweetly having been held up from a poor draw in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and looks firmly back on track after failing to progress as expected in 2008. He isn't one for maximum faith, but he's almost certainly better than circumstances allowed him to show at Ascot and his smooth travelling style should catch the eye of the in-play gang from halfway.

5: High Heeled (Haydock 2.55)

The case for this filly is simple and revolves around the fact that she has the best form in the race and that the rain has come at the perfect time for her. Some fair judges took the fancy each way prices about her before the Oaks and she ran a cracker to bustle up Sariska and Midday. This has to be regarded as a step down in class and the more rain that falls the more her chance of justifying favouritism will increase.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: