Another small field for the Sandown Coral Eclipse of 2025 means six runners in the 1m 2f Group 1 highlight on Saturday, 5 July. Ombudsman, an impressive winner of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes during Royal Ascot aims to double up despite a swift turnaround.
The Eclipse, a historic race between different generations, continues to struggle attracting a proper each-way betting shape. Andre Fabre sends Sosie across the Channel from France, but this is faster ground than he has ever encountered before.
Against this older duo are four three-year-olds receiving a handy 10lb weight for age allowance. Amongst those are three from Ireland with two representing Eclipse winningest trainer Aidan O’Brien. They are French Derby hero Camille Pissarro and Delacroix, sent off favourite for the Epsom equivalent.
Ballydoyle has sent out the winner of this in three of the last four seasons, so the O’Brien contingent should command respect. Jessica Harrington sends Hotazhell over from the Emerald Isle, meanwhile. Completing the line-up are 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court, giving Godolphin a second string to the favourite.
On the Sandown Coral Eclipse supporting card is a Group 3 sprint, a Listed mile race for three-year-old fillies and a number of intriguing handicaps. Helping you narrow the fields across all the action from the Esher venue in Greater London are our horse racing experts. This is always a fixture they pay close attention to.
With their form assessment and of the odds available through horse racing bookmakers, we can guide you towards value. Check out a complete rundown of the card below…
Sandown Coral Eclipse Day 2025 Preview for Saturday, 5 July
1:50 – 5f Group 3 Coral Charge Sprint Stakes
Concerns about whether Jack Davison’s Irish raider She’s Quality will see out this stiff 5f mean the ante post favourite can be taken on. Kerdos, meanwhile, hasn’t won outside of handicaps on good to firm and Rumstar concedes weight all-round. It might be worth chancing Balmoral Lady again as she suffered from a low draw at Ascot when the golden highway was up the middle of the home straight.
While Shagraan still tries to make the jump from handicapper to Pattern sprinter, West Acre’s fellow three-year-olds are all last time out winners. Both Palace Of Holyrood House winner Adrestia and William Buick’s mount Queen All Star are course and distance scorers. Harrington quickly backs Saratoga Special up from Listed success at Ayr, meanwhile.
2:25 – 1m Class 2 Coral Challenge Handicap
MY CLOUD takes the Royal Hunt Cup for @SilvDSousa, @varianstable and owners KHK Racing. pic.twitter.com/LLPobApg4Q
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 18, 2025
Jockey bookings on the supporting card of Sandown Coral Eclipse day can reveal plenty. None more so than Ryan Moore riding GREEK ORDER for Michael Bell after his excellent fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot. Provided this doesn’t come too soon after that meeting, this still well-treated five-year-old could scoop a big pot. Greek Order knows the Esher hill better than most in the line-up.
There are question marks over other market principals, meanwhile. Treasure Time concedes race-fitness to the entire field and will surely need his first run in almost 300 days. Classic is a course winner over 7f, but that was two years ago. He blew his last race over course and distance at the start. Richard Hannon will want him to jump off on terms, so he gives himself a chance.
Next to Classic in the handicap is the similarly named Classic Encounter, who looks solid each-way value. George Boughey’s charge has been pretty consistent this term and, although he won over a furlong further around York last time, shouldn’t have a problem with this stiff uphill mile. Nothing else, especially those at the top of the weights make much appeal.
3:00 – Listed 1m Coral Distaff (Fillies)
NEVER LET GO WINS THE SANDRINGHAM STAKES! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/jdtD7s5xyx
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 20, 2025
Very trappy as many progressive females seek Black Type on the Sandown Coral Eclipse card. Cajole ran well in defeat at Royal Ascot and now has Moore 
Andrew Balding runs two with Blue Bolt the clear pick of the pair. She’s a big danger to the selection if continuing her progress. Godolphin have an unbeaten filly in Victory Queen, who could be anything still. If Supermodel is over the infection that ruled her out of the Royal meeting, then she too could go well for William Haggas.
Ed Walker’s Miss Tonnerre is better than she showed at York, meanwhile. She drops down in both trip and grade now. If recapturing her earlier promise, which include fourth place finishes to subsequent Classic winners, then she should run well. Suite Francaise has done nothing wrong in winning both career starts for the Johnston stable either.
3:35 – 1m 2f Group 1 Coral-Eclipse
His Prince Of Wales victory looked more authoritative than the official winning margin suggests. Sosie has going concerns, so the main threat should come from one of the three-year-olds. Each has something to prove, however, and Ruling Court shaped like he might well stay this far when third to Field Of Gold on the Round Mile in the St James’s Palace.
On a form line through runner-up Henri Matisse, however, that brings Camille Pissarro into calculations. He won the French Derby, but hasn’t raced on quick ground since Royal Ascot last season. Delacroix has a mystifying Epsom Derby flop to put behind him with Moore keeping the faith. Harrington raider Hotazhell should improve for going up in trip, but his best form is on softer surfaces than he’ll get here.
4:12 – 7f Class 3 Handicap (0-90)
He has Moore taking the ride now after defying a penalty in a Wetherby novice. No others in the line-up arrive here on the back of last time out wins, so they look the pair to focus on. Of the remainder, Mudbir is still a lightly-raced type and open to further progress for the Gosdens and Shadwell Estates now sent handicapping.
Warren Greatrex saw Gilet go close over further last time, meanwhile. Although going back down in distance isn’t automatically the conclusion you reach based on how he shaped, this stiff uphill course does require stamina even on the fast ground to get home over. A 5lb higher mark isn’t beyond Gilet at any rate.
4:45 – 1m 2f Class 4 Handicap (0-80)
The beautifully-bred Best Adventure looks set for better things as he defies top-weight in the Tom Jones At Sandown Park 30 July Handicap for @oismurphy, @AndrewBalding2 and Zhang Yuesheng pic.twitter.com/hgeyOiWq42
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) June 13, 2025
Topweight Dissident is still a maiden, yet potentially well-treated off an opening mark of 81. Ralph Beckett’s runner was an eye-catching fifth in what has turned out to be a very strong All-Weather maiden around Kempton in November. Dissident should take a step forward for his reappearance third from Windsor here on handicap debut too.
Balding’s lightly-raced Jupiter Ammom hasn’t won yet either. Despite that, his 76 rating could underestimate him. The Gosdens, meanwhile, run Keeble for the first time since Yarmouth in April. He’s up 7lb for that success when he turned away challengers, which looks steep, but Buick now takes the ride. The others don’t have much going for them.
5:15 – 1m 2f Class 2 Handicap (0-105)
A 6lb rise for the Frankel gelding looks fair and the yard are having a terrific season. Off just 8s 2lb, Best Adventure receives 10lb weight for age from his elders and at least that much all-round from the entire field. He’s unbeaten in two previous starts over a mile-and-a-quarter, so the case looks obvious against out of form rivals. Joe Fanning slims down for the ride.
Making a case for anything else is tough, but topweight Arabian Light has some good form to his name. Conceding two whole stone in weight to Best Adventure is a big ask but, off 1lb lower than his Suffolk Stakes third, he should find this easier than recent assignments. Nebras is the other three-year-old in the line-up, but must improve on his disappointing display in Listed company here last time.
