Silvestre The Stand Out Bet At Sandown

The Eclipse at Sandown promises to be another fascinating insight into the depth of the three-year-old division this year.

Those at the top of the market are all from the Classic generation but a horse like Decorated Knight won’t want to make it easy for the young guns.

Eminent to edge Cliffs
Cliffs Of Moher went to Epsom carrying the main hopes of Ballydoyle and so nearly pulled it off. Some people still can’t believe that Wings Of Eagles came and swooped victory so late and in such a fashion but that is history now.

The drop back in trip is expected to help Cliffs Of Moher but on this occasion he might be outgunned by Eminent (4/1), the son of Frankel, who will also be aided by the drop back to 10 furlongs from 12 and a more straightforward race than the Epsom Derby.

Eminent was no match for Churchill and co. in the Guineas, but he certainly wasn’t disgraced in the Derby and probably didn’t love the track and gave best in the closing stages at a trip beyond his optimum.

Jim Crowley can’t be accused of doing anything wrong on the three-year-old but being replaced by Silvestre De Sousa is no negative as the man is riding out of his skin at the moment.

Eminent needs to reverse his Guineas form with Barney Roy and he needs to reverse the Derby form with Cliffs Of Moher so on that basis alone, he deserves to be third favourite. But, the hope is that given that he didn’t get a clear run at Epsom at vital stages of the race,

Eminent will be most suited by the trip and can propel himself to Group 1 honours at odds of 4/1.

Sandown Charge can be Marvellous
Muthmir sets a decent standard for the Coral Charge over five furlongs but he has to give weight away all around here and 10lbs to the three-year-olds who include Clive Cox’s Tis Marvellous (7/1).

Gerald Mosse will remain on the two-time winner after he was sixth in the Commonwealth Cup under the same rider, but there’s every chance that this conditions race could see him returning to winning ways for the first time in almost 12 months.

While without a win in four runs, those outings have been in quite good company and this is a marked drop in class for the 7/1 shot who looks solid each-way over a trip that could suit better than the six furlongs he has been racing over of late.

Recommended Bets:
Tis Marvellous (7/1) – 1:50 Sandown
Eminent (4/1) – 3:35 Sandown

*Prices correct at time of publication