SERPENTINE, Love, and perhaps one or two of the beaten horses in the Derby, may end up crossing swords with the best older middle-distance horses later in the campaign. They could have their work cut out judged by the result of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Sunday, in my view.

Despite the forced absence of three-year-olds at Sandown, this Eclipse was right up to scratch. Enable had won two Arcs and a host of other major races, Japan had won an International Stakes, and Magic Wand and Deirdre had mixed it regularly with some of the best on the world stage.