Henry Cecil triumphs in Eclipse
3.40pm Martin Kelly, Press Association: Twice Over gave Henry Cecil his fourth Coral-Eclipse Stakes with an all-the-way success in the Group One contest at Sandown.
Cecil had been without a win in the 10-furlong event since Gunner B scored in 1978, and jockey Tom Queally was keen to make sure there was not a repeat of his unlucky run at Royal Ascot by bouncing out of the stalls and making it a test.
The mare Dar Re Mi was shadowing him until three furlongs out when Twice Over accelerated clear and the rest were soon in trouble. Zacinto never looked like getting involved and it was 33-1 outsider Sri Putra who stayed on strongest of all to chase the 13-8 winner home, eventually going down by half a length, with Viscount Nelson third.
Marcus Tregoning's Mawatheeq refused to enter the stalls before the race and had to be withdrawn.
Second time lucky for Twice and Queally
Today's TV tips
Little went right for Twice Over (3.10) at Royal Ascot last month, but Henry Cecil's runner can enjoy better fortune in today's Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
He never looked happy when well beaten in this race 12 months ago, but has shown improved form since then and there are no rivals of the calibre of Sea The Stars here in any case.
Cecil's impeccable manners were severely tested when Twice Over was beaten into second by Byword in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, his first start for almost three months. While everyone around was celebrating a one-two for owner Khalid Abdulla, Cecil gave the distinct impression in the winner's enclosure that he felt his horse should have won.
Certainly, Tom Queally seemed to give Twice Over enough to do that day having turned for home in last place, and even from that point things failed to go smoothly when Twice Over was checked badly in his run at the two-furlong pole.
Dar Re Mi will have to set off at a decent pace if she is to make this a sufficient test of stamina, which ought to play into the hands of the selection.
Sandown 2.00 Triple Aspect finds it tough at the highest level, but is much more at home in this sort of grade. He should have won this contest last year, but threw his chance away when hanging left close home. Drawn right against the rail here, he can make amends.
Haydock 2.15 Berling didn't have a hard a race when enduring a dreadful run in a big handicap at Royal Ascot last month. He has his quirks, but cannot be opposed in this less competitive contest.
Sandown 2.35 High-drawn horses should enjoy a significant advantage here and Oratory looks the pick of them. He was up against a smart rival when second at York last time and is improving.
Haydock 2.50 Barshiba sets a decent standard on the back of her latest third in the Hardwicke Stakes. She faces some opposition for the early lead here but does not have to dominate and she will enjoy the quick conditions more than some of her rivals.
Haydock 3.25 Hanoverian Baron is a fast-improving horse who will take plenty of beating despite the competitive nature of this race. He won with much more in hand than the final margin suggests last time.
Sandown 3.40 Lady Darshaan was not beaten far in the Irish Guineas, having previously had no chance from her high draw at Newmarket. She seemed not to stay a mile and a quarter last time.
Horse sense
Having decided to give Dar Re Mi (3.10) time off since her lucrative victory in Dubai, John Gosden has stuck to the plan and waited three months for today's Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
But it must have been tempting for the trainer to bring her back to the track sooner as she has performed consistently well in her homework over the last six weeks, showing no signs of the hard race she had at Meydan having any lasting effects.
Dar Re Mi looked particularly well when galloping on the Al Bahathri under William Buick on Tuesday and may prove hard to beat today despite dropping back to a mile and a quarter.
Also spotted on the gallops in Newmarket for Gosden this week was Showcasing, a bitter disappointment in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but tried in blinkers, dropping a hint as to where connections believe the root of his problems lie.
Andrew Balding has high hopes of a good day at Sandown, although Set The Trend (2.35) would have been a much stronger fancy but for being handed a very difficult draw in stall four.
Kieren Fallon has been booked for Kakatosi (4.50), believed to be well-treated for his handicap debut off a mark of 82. His narrow defeat by Flambeau doesn't look any worse after that filly's narrow defeat in a good race at Newmarket last weekend.
Don't rule out Balding's Veni Vedi Veci in the last either, although the Gosden-trained Beachfire (5.25) just gets the nod, having reportedly improved at home since his last success.
Bould Mover (2.00) may possibly have been a little flattered by the way the race panned out in the King's Stand Stakes, but nevertheless he must go well in the opening Group Three sprint. Graham Gibbons made the journey down to Lambourn to ride work on him in midweek.
Roger Charlton looks to have a strong hand at Haydock, but the failure of the forecast rain to arrive in the expected quantities may see Clowance (2.50) sidestep the Lancashire Oaks.
Bated Breath (4.00) will handle quicker ground better than some of his stablemates and is fancied to maintain his unbeaten record, while Avertor (5.10) is also reckoned to be a few pounds ahead of the handicapper, although again he would have preferred further rain. In the event that Clowance is pulled out, Henry Cecil's Flame of Gibraltar would have to come into consideration despite having plenty to find on the form book. She worked well with Midday on Wednesday and should go better than her odds suggest.
Seen and heard
Kempton's wish to entertain as well as inform their racegoers saw them appoint self-confessed horse racing fan James McQuillan to the role of raceday presenter last October. McQuillan, who first came to attention as a popular, if occasionally aggravating, contestant on last year's series of The Apprentice on the BBC, was hired by Kempton after Sir Alan Sugar eliminated him in the penultimate week of the hugely popular show. We wonder how McQuillan, with his self-confessed 'foot-in-mouth syndrome', is doing in his new role and hope that his regular gaffes don't lead to another untimely exit. Having already endured the public shame of being told 'You're fired' once, it would be a shame if it happened once again.
Jockey Jean-Pierre Guillambert has proved one of the success stories of this season, his industriousness in riding work for Luca Cumani being rewarded with a number of good rides for the Newmarket trainer. Now his girlfriend, apprentice Kelly Harrison, is hoping to make a similar breakthrough having established herself as a regular work-rider for Henry Cecil. Yorkshire-born Harrison rides mainly in the north but has quickly become a well-known figure on the Newmarket heath and has also proved a hit when appearing as a guest on the At The Races television channel.
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