READY TO ROAR
Lion just purr-fect for Eclipse glory after Masar exit
ROARING LION can profit from Masar’s late shock exit to lift the Coral-Eclipse (2.10, ITV) at Sandown.
The Group 1 inter-generational clash has been blown apart by the news Masar will be missing from the line-up – the Derby hero banged a leg in exercise yesterday – but backers of Roaring Lion won’t complain. John Gosden’s colt finished fifth behind Saxon Warrior in the 2,000 Guineas in May.
But, having landed York’s Dante Stakes by four and a half lengths on his next start, he beat that opponent when the pair came home third and fourth behind Masar at Epsom five weeks ago.
The way Oisin Murphy’s mount travelled suggests 10 furlongs will be right up his street – and Gosden (left) immediately nominated the Eclipse as Roaring Lion’s next assignment.
Previously raw Roaring Lion is now becoming the finished article and can give his jockey a first British Group 1 win.
Saxon Warrior’s presence in the
line-up after his third in last Saturday’s Irish Derby adds spice to the Eclipse.
But Aidan O’Brien’s ace has lost his aura of invincibility, while stablemate Happily could do with a drop of rain.
While the remaining three-year-old Raymond Tusk is outclassed, the three older challengers are available at big odds.
O’Brien’s Cliffs Of Moher is not the horse he promised to be, while Forest Ranger needs to find more.
Masar’s stablemate Hawkbill won this for Charlie Appleby in 2016 and is the each-way bet.
LET’S put you in a good mood before England’s big World Cup kick-off by finding the winner of the Coral Charge.
The five-furlong dash is far from the main event at Sandown, but it’s an appealing contest trends-wise as our hero must not be drawn higher than four when the going is quick.
That quickly reduces the number of possible scorers and we can also lose another as Judicial is too old.
On official ratings there is nothing between the three who remain, but Dream Of
Dreams was unplaced last time out and that’s a negative. HADDAF comfortably holds
Koditime on last month’s course-anddistance form and it’s hard not to expect a repeat performance from James Tate’s track specialist. Have 2pts win at 9-1 with Paddy Power.
Given the CoralEclipse (2.10) is such a strong statistical race it’s also worth having a pop at.
The best trial for today’s big race is Royal Ascot’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, so step forward HAWKBILL.
The Godolphin colt finished third at the Berkshire course last month but was a rare three-year-old Eclipse winner two years ago.
He will get the run of this, so have 2pts win at 20-1 in places.