Saxon out to Eclipse an old foe

DONNACHA O’BRIEN will be back on board Qipco 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior when he makes a quick reappearance in tomorrow’s Coral Eclipse Stakes in Sandown Park.

A beaten favourite in both the Investec Derby at Epsom and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh last Saturday, the Ballydoyle colt will renew Epsom rivalry with Derby victor Masar and third Roaring Lion.

Saxon Warrior will be joined in the Eclipse line-up by stable-companions Cliffs Of Moher (Seamus Heffernan) and Happily (Wayne Lordan).

Meanwhile, Ryan Moore is bound for New York for three rides, all for Aidan O’brien in Belmont Park tomorrow night.

Mendelsshon will attempt to bounce back from his bad Kentucky Derby experience in the $300,000 Dwyer Stakes, a one-mile event for three-year-olds on dirt, in which Seahenge (Javier Castellano) will also represent Ballydoyle.

Moore will also be on board Royal Ascot winner Hunting Horn in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby and Athena in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks.

Meanwhile, O’brien shared a Tipperary double with Donnacha last night as two-year-olds Cape Of

Good Hope and Norfolk Stakes third Land Force delivered for Ballydoyle.

Cape Of Good Hope made all in the opening maiden and may head for the Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown while Land Force, smooth winner of the listed Coolmore Pride Of Dubai Tipperary Stakes, will run in the July Stakes (Group 2) in Newmarket next week.

And the Noel Meadetrained Joey Sasa, fourth in last year’s Guinness Galway Hurdle, booked his ticket back to Ballybrit under Sean Flanagan when beating Wicklow Brave and Sharjah by a length and a half in the featured Grade 3 Kevn Mcmanus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle.