The Coral-Eclipse takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon and our team of tipsters and writers have had their say on who will come out on top. Check out their thoughts below, along with a new customer offer from 888sport, who are offering £30 in Free Bets + £10 Casino Bonus when they sign up and bet £10.
Daryl Carter
I don’t think that Native Trail hasn’t trained on, or is a bad horse, but I don’t think that he’s come up against anything that’s really good, and I think that VADENI could be really good.
If you’re having a bet, I think Vadeni is the one that you want to take a chance on. You could argue that Vadeni was well positioned in the Prix du Jockey Club last time, but the way that he quickened away from that field was like they were standing still. You can’t get away from how impressive he really was that day. The ground won’t be an issue, and I think if it turns tactical, he’s going to have the smarter turn of foot. I think he’s the right favourite and that they’re right to supplement him for £50,000, and I think that he’ll probably win.
Andrew Mount
I’m with NATIVE TRAIL, that was a huge effort in the Guineas when he was on the wrong side of the track. We saw at Royal Ascot that Lusail, who ran sixth of fifteen almost reversed the form with Coroebus without that track bias to negate.
Alenquer has had four runs at this 10f trip, posting three wins and a second to Mishriff at York. He looks like a big price considering that he was a Group 1 winner at this trip last time out and still seems to be improving. So, I’ll go Native Trail over Alenquer.
Kate Tracey
NATIVE TRAIL, the apple of my eye, I don’t see how people can say that he hasn’t trained on as a 3yo, that seems bizarre. He’s been brilliant this season, drawn on the wrong side of the track in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket when still managing to finish second behind Coroebus, then set the record straight when winning at the Curragh.
For me, he’s just been crying out for 10f with that slight flat spot that he hits in his races I think that he should only improve for this race. I’ll take on Vadeni where yes, he was super impressive last time out at Chantilly, but that was a clear career-best and I just need him to prove it wasn’t one-off brilliance. I also think Bay Bridge was beaten fair and square at Ascot, so it’s Native Trail for me.
Joe Eccles
Even when taking into account his track position and the excellent ride given to him by Christophe Soumillon, it was hard not to be blown away by the performance of VADENI in last month’s French Derby, pulling away from Group 1 winners El Bodegon and Modern Games like they were merely handicappers. He received an RPR of 124 there, which is only 1lb less than that of Desert Crown’s Derby win, and with the potential for even more to come from the Aga Khan’s charge, I’m anticipating a special performance.
Native Trail looks a likely beneficiary of this extra 2f and could pose the selection with most to think about on a track where he won as a juvenile. He doesn’t have the same sparkle as the French colt to my eye, however, and if he (as expected) takes a little stoking up prior to making his challenge I get the impression Vadeni may have already flown.
Jordan Arksey
Although they appear to be the main pair to focus on, I’m going against both Vadeni and Native Trail this weekend despite their favourable weight for age allowance. The former was always well-positioned when winning a far-from-vintage renewal of the Prix Du Jockey Club earlier this month, while Charlie Appleby’s colt was rather workmanlike when landing the Irish 2,000 Guineas when last seen and isn’t certain to stay the extra two furlongs based on breeding.
Despite failing to win at the royal meeting in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, I’m prepared to give another chance to BAY BRIDGE, who can hopefully provide trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, with a record-breaking seventh win in the Eclipse. The son of New Bay wasn’t suited by how the race ultimately unfolded last time out, but prior to his Royal Ascot defeat, the progressive colt was a seriously impressive winner of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance and it’s surely only a matter of time before Bay Bridge triumphs at the highest level.
Joe Napier
Alenquer is probably overpriced on a line through State Of Rest, who he beat into third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. That rival, of course, beat Bay Bridge in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes last time, yet Sir Michael Stoute’s charge is generally half the price of Alenquer here.
However, for all that collateral form, the three-year-olds could both be very useful and I’ll take NATIVE TRAIL over French raider Vadeni. Charlie Appleby’s son of Oasis Dream may have lost the 2000 Guineas, but he made amends at the Curragh in the Irish equivalent while looking for all the world that he would excel over further. His Newmarket defeat remains the only one he has suffered in his career and while Vadeni looked top class in the Prix Du Jockey Club, quicker ground would pose a few questions.
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