French Derby hero Constitution River is the star name among nine contenders for the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.
The Wootton Bassett colt led home a one-two-three for Aidan O’Brien in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly at the end of May, with stablemates Hawk Mountain and Montreal finishing second and third respectively.
Hawk Mountain is also in the mix for this weekend’s all-aged Group 1 feature, with O’Brien stating last week that it was “50-50” regarding which colt would line up at the Esher circuit.
The Ballydoyle handler has also left in King Edward VII Stakes winner Causeway and Flushing Meadows.
Speaking on Nick Luck’s daily podcast on Monday, O’Brien said: “The two horses (Constitution River and Hawk Mountain) are right in contention for it, we’re happy with both at the moment. I’d imagine in the midst of the week we’ll have a fair idea what the lads are thinking of doing.”
Having already won the English, Irish and French Derbys this season, O’Brien could take aim at the German equivalent on Sunday having entered both Hawk Mountain and Causeway.
Hawk flying to Hamburg?
When asked whether a trip to Hamburg is under consideration for Hawk Mountain, the trainer added: “We were going to split the two colts up and I suppose we’ll have to see how the middle of the week goes, but it is a possibility. With Hawk Mountain getting ready for Saturday he could go another day and go Sunday.
“Causeway is kind of on the Grand Prix de Paris programme at the moment. We haven’t spoken too much or too strongly about any of it yet, but come the middle of the week I think we will have to be having a good discussion about all that.”
Should those plans fall into place, Constitution River looks likely to go to post as a hot favourite for the Eclipse, a Group 1 O’Brien has already won on a record nine occasions, including in each of the past three seasons.
O’Brien said: “He’s straightforward and his training has all gone well. We’re just trying to split both horses up really and give them each a chance, I suppose.
“Everything is right with him, obviously a mile and a quarter should be fine for him and he ran around a right-handed bend in Chantilly the last day, so that should be fine too. We’re just trying to give him a chance and be really sure everybody is happy with him really.”
Donnacha O’Brien is set to saddle the French Derby fourth A Boy Named Susie, while his brother Joseph could be represented by Galen.
UK contingent
The British team is headed by the Owen Burrows-trained Gethin, who was last seen pushing subsequent Prince of Wales’s Stakes scorer Ombudsman close in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.
“We are very happy with our fella. James (Doyle) came and sat on him on Saturday and I’ve read reports since about sparkling workout, but it was just a very routine piece of work on the all-weather,” Burrows said on Monday.
“I wouldn’t have been commenting on it as being ‘sparkling’, but James felt he was a little more focussed.
“That was only his sixth run in the Brigadier Gerard and we’re looking forward to Saturday.”
Gethin’s owners Wathnan Racing have also stumped up £50,000 supplementary fee to add Harry Charlton’s King’s Gambit to the field in the likely role as pacemaker.
The five-year-old was second to another Wathnan ace in Damysus in the Earl of Sefton at Newmarket in the spring, but has since finished well beaten in both the Huxley Stakes at Chester and the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The potential line-up is completed by Saddadd, who won Sandown’s Gordon Richards Stakes on his first start of the season for Roger Varian before placing third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland.
3.35 Coral-Eclipse (Group 1) 1m 1f 209yd
Current Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
A Boy Named Susie (IRE) 3 8 13 Ana O'Brien Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Ireland
Causeway (IRE) 3 8 13 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland
Constitution River (FR) 3 8 13 M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Westerberg Aidan O'Brien Ireland
Flushing Meadows (USA) 3 8 13 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland
Galen 5 9 9 B.Taylor/T.Fitzgerald/P.Redmond/B.Fowler Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland
Gethin (IRE) 4 9 9 Wathnan Racing Owen Burrows
Hawk Mountain (IRE) 3 8 13 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland
King's Gambit (IRE) 5 9 9 Wathnan Racing Harry Charlton
Saddadd (IRE) 4 9 9 Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum Roger Varian