Labeled the “clash of the generations”, Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse heavily favours a high-class 3-year-old with the weight-for-age shifting a huge 11 pounds in their favour, and that may prove too much for opponents of The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in Saturday's renewal. Unraced at the start of the season but now hardened via the tests of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 St James's Palace S., Derrick Smith's bay promises to stay this 10-furlong trip based on pedigree and racecourse evidence. His powerful display when romping to glory in the May 15 Deauville Classic was followed with a staying-on second when possibly an unlucky loser in the St James's Palace at Royal Ascot June 14, and Aidan O'Brien sees no issue with the extra quarter-mile. “He came out of Ascot very well, he looks like a horse that could go up to a mile and a quarter and have no problem coming back to a mile again,” commented the Ballydoyle handler, who has won this five times and on three occasions with the Classic generation. “Hopefully the deluge won't come, as we wouldn't run him on heavy ground–hopefully that won't happen. We've always liked him.”
Despite the pull at the weights, The Gurkha will have to stay progressive to handle two quality 4-year-olds in Paul and Clare Rooney's My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill) and the Juddmonte homebred Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with connections of the former wanting the rain and those of the latter hoping it stays away. My Dream Boat stepped out of the shadows to win the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot last time June 15, having previously taken the G3 Gordon Richards S. over this course and distance Apr. 22 and finished fifth in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan over nine furlongs at Chantilly May 24. No match for A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) there, he may have benefitted from the Japanese runner's dramatic flop at the Royal meeting, but trainer Clive Cox is in no doubt that he is a high-class performer. “We've won a Group 1, we're heading to Sandown as a Group 1 winner and there's no better feeling, whether he gets due credit or not doesn't bother me,” he commented. “We're quite pleased there's going to be plenty of pace in the race, because it's pretty obvious that suits us best with the way he finishes off his races. On the face of it everything is great, he's fresh and well and we're looking forward to it.”
Time Test gave the re-opposing Sandown specialist Western Hymn (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) five pounds when returning with a success in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. over this track and trip May 26, but that smart piece of form only tells half of the story. Long believed to be out of the top drawer by trainer Roger Charlton and anyone who studies racing data, Khalid Abdullah's homebred encountered similar ground to this when a non-threatening fourth in the G1 Juddmonte International at York in August, but is a stronger individual now and connections are hoping the surface will be less of a hindrance. “I hope we'll give The Gurkha a race–it will be interesting to see how it works out,” the owner-breeder's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said. “We were pretty pleased with Time Test's comeback in every way, especially the way he traveled and the way he put it to bed. He's got to put his mark on the game now. This is a nice opportunity, definitely. We're pretty confident a mile and a quarter is around his optimum, but he's pretty versatile. I don't think he wants a flat-out gallop or a crawl, we just want a nice sensible pace. There are some really interesting horses in there and we should take them all and respect them.”
Godolphin have supplemented the 3-year-old Hawkbill (Kitrten's Joy) as they did back in 2004 with the subsequent winner Refuse To Bend (Ire), and he is a colt on the upgrade after recording his fifth straight success in the G3 Tercentenary S. over this trip at Royal Ascot June 16. “He has come out of Ascot very well. We just felt that while the conditions are like they are, he deserved to have a go,” trainer Charlie Appleby commented. “I don't think there will be a lack of pace but he showed when he won at Newmarket, where he pretty much made the running, that he can be ridden very forward. At Sandown you have got to be up near the pace, as not many come from behind and he has got good tactical pace. Most importantly, he is giving us the right signs and seems to be improving with each run.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
