Paddington and Emily Upjohn clash in Eclipse Stakes at Sandown
The race is worth £425,000 to the winner
06 July 2023 - 14:57
byDAVID MOLLETT
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Far and away the best race on the planet this Saturday is the grade 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in the UK which features a fascinating clash between three-year-old, Paddington, and the four-year-old filly, Emily Upjohn.
The race — worth £425,000 to the winner — is off at 4.40pm (SA time).
Last weekend, Augustin Rodin added the Irish Derby to his Epsom success to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his 100th grade 1 European winner.
This time, O’Brien relies on his unbeaten three-year-old, Paddington, who is fractionally favourite with UK bookies at 11-10. They have Emily Upjohn at 11-8.
With Frankie Dettori serving a nine-day ban after falling foul of the Royal Ascot stewards, trainer John Gosden has had to find a new jockey for Emily Upjohn and he has chosen William Buick.
Connections of Emily Upjohn, winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom, have told the media they are confident of taking the Sandown race en route to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in October.
However, it’s this column’s view that Paddington might just come out on top and provide Ryan Moore — top jockey at Ascot — with another big race winner.
The only other runner quoted in single figures is Anmaat who represents Owen Burrows’ stable with Jim Crowley booked for the ride. The five-year-old is on offer at 7-1.
Another five-year-old, Dubai Honour, does duty for the powerful William Haggas stable but he is a 12-1 chance and not expected to trouble the principals.
After seeing so many top horses in action at the Durban July meeting, it’s back to moderate fare at Turffontein on Saturday with a programme of nine races.
After his win in the 2022 Durban July, S’manga Khumalo will be disappointed to have drawn a blank last weekend but Joe Soma has booked him for two good mounts at the city track.
One of these is Calibre Crest and Soma puts the blinkers on the son of Twice Over. Khumalo won on the four-year-old at the Vaal in March and since then the gelding has twice filled the runner-up berth.
Tony Peter boasts an excellent strike rate since taking out his trainers licence and his runner, Scallywag, poses a serious threat to Calibre Crest. This is only the eighth career start for the Pomodoro gelding.
Kabelo Matsunyane has been bombarded like a pop star after his July triumph and he shouldn't be far away on Paul Matchett’s runner, Angel Of War.
In the sixth race, Joe Soma runs Brave Viking and he’s a gelding Khumalo knows well with a win and two seconds on the son of William Longsword. A five-point penalty might not prevent another win.
Another Tony Peter runner, Tizona, also a son of William Longsword, is halfway through the R450,000 he cost as a yearling and — despite the widest draw — should have a say with Craig Zackey in the saddle.
Sean Tarry sends just one of his strong team to the meeting and Vercingetorix’s daughter, Celtic Rumours, will be considered a banker bet by many punters.
While the three-year-old has the worst of the draw in the eighth race, the filly goes to post with two wins and four places from her six outings. Her biggest danger could be another of Vercingetorix's offspring, Queen Of Shadows.
Selections
1st race: (2) Empress Game (6) Tyson The Brave (4) Chocolate Bomb (5) Strewn Sky
2nd race: (2) Cosmic Star (1) Smith And Wesson (4) Rainbow Reward (6) Princeofgreen
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Paddington and Emily Upjohn clash in Eclipse Stakes at Sandown
The race is worth £425,000 to the winner
Far and away the best race on the planet this Saturday is the grade 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in the UK which features a fascinating clash between three-year-old, Paddington, and the four-year-old filly, Emily Upjohn.
The race — worth £425,000 to the winner — is off at 4.40pm (SA time).
Last weekend, Augustin Rodin added the Irish Derby to his Epsom success to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his 100th grade 1 European winner.
This time, O’Brien relies on his unbeaten three-year-old, Paddington, who is fractionally favourite with UK bookies at 11-10. They have Emily Upjohn at 11-8.
With Frankie Dettori serving a nine-day ban after falling foul of the Royal Ascot stewards, trainer John Gosden has had to find a new jockey for Emily Upjohn and he has chosen William Buick.
Connections of Emily Upjohn, winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom, have told the media they are confident of taking the Sandown race en route to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in October.
However, it’s this column’s view that Paddington might just come out on top and provide Ryan Moore — top jockey at Ascot — with another big race winner.
The only other runner quoted in single figures is Anmaat who represents Owen Burrows’ stable with Jim Crowley booked for the ride. The five-year-old is on offer at 7-1.
Another five-year-old, Dubai Honour, does duty for the powerful William Haggas stable but he is a 12-1 chance and not expected to trouble the principals.
After seeing so many top horses in action at the Durban July meeting, it’s back to moderate fare at Turffontein on Saturday with a programme of nine races.
After his win in the 2022 Durban July, S’manga Khumalo will be disappointed to have drawn a blank last weekend but Joe Soma has booked him for two good mounts at the city track.
One of these is Calibre Crest and Soma puts the blinkers on the son of Twice Over. Khumalo won on the four-year-old at the Vaal in March and since then the gelding has twice filled the runner-up berth.
Tony Peter boasts an excellent strike rate since taking out his trainers licence and his runner, Scallywag, poses a serious threat to Calibre Crest. This is only the eighth career start for the Pomodoro gelding.
Kabelo Matsunyane has been bombarded like a pop star after his July triumph and he shouldn't be far away on Paul Matchett’s runner, Angel Of War.
In the sixth race, Joe Soma runs Brave Viking and he’s a gelding Khumalo knows well with a win and two seconds on the son of William Longsword. A five-point penalty might not prevent another win.
Another Tony Peter runner, Tizona, also a son of William Longsword, is halfway through the R450,000 he cost as a yearling and — despite the widest draw — should have a say with Craig Zackey in the saddle.
Sean Tarry sends just one of his strong team to the meeting and Vercingetorix’s daughter, Celtic Rumours, will be considered a banker bet by many punters.
While the three-year-old has the worst of the draw in the eighth race, the filly goes to post with two wins and four places from her six outings. Her biggest danger could be another of Vercingetorix's offspring, Queen Of Shadows.
Selections
1st race: (2) Empress Game (6) Tyson The Brave (4) Chocolate Bomb (5) Strewn Sky
2nd race: (2) Cosmic Star (1) Smith And Wesson (4) Rainbow Reward (6) Princeofgreen
3rd race: (10) White Hills (9) Waitforgreenlight (3) Cocktail Girl (1) Wilkies
4th race: (8) Mia Regina (1) Golden Sickle (5) Insatiable (4) Samoa
5th race: (2) Munchkin (10) Tre Amici (1) Black Egret (5) Iron Sky
6th race: (5) Brave Viking (4) Tizona (3) Trident King (8) Bloomington
7th race: (4) Calibre Crest (5) Scallywag (6) Angel Of War (1) Captain Of Grit
8th race: (2) Celtic Rumours (1) Queen Of Shadows (9) Berengaria (3) Wokonda
9th race: (4) Sea Anemone (6) Dancing Arabian (10) Callmewhenuneedme (12) Island Beauty
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