It’s set to be an absolutely mouth-watering Saturday of sporting action for punters, with a whole host of sports to get stuck in to across the day.
Alongside the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland, we also have some Group 1 action to enjoy at Sandown Park.
It’s ought to be a hugely informative affair, too, with the Epsom Derby hero City Of Troy set to face off against older rivals for the first time.
The mile and a quarter Coral-Eclipse is the traditional first litmus test of the ‘Classic’ generation against the older horses, though this looks a good opportunity for Aidan O’Brien’s charge.
The Eclipse headlines a stellar seven-race card at Sandown Park on Saturday and to help you out, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide of all the very best Eclipse Stakes free bets and tips for you below.
Coral-Eclipse Day race schedule
There is a hugely competitive seven-race card on Coral-Eclipse Day at Sandown Park, with the feature race due off at 3.35pm. There are no less than three Pattern races scheduled on the card and we have listed the full details of each race for you below.
Time | Race | Distance | Type |
---|---|---|---|
13.15 | Coral Play “Racing-Super-Series” For Free Handicap | 7f | Class 3 |
13.50 | Coral Charge (Registered as the Sprint Stakes) | 5f | Group 3 |
14.25 | Coral Challenge Handicap | 1m | Class 2 |
15.00 | Coral Distaff | 1m | Listed |
15.35 | Coral-Eclipse | 1m2f | Group 1 |
16.12 | Coral Racing Club Handicap | 1m2f | Class 4 |
16.47 | Coral Daily Rewards Shaker Handicap | 1m2f | Class 2 |
Coral-Eclipse Stakes 2024 tips and predictions
We’re all set for a very competitive day of racing at Sandown Park on Saturday, with the feature race due off at 3.35pm. We have taken a look at the card and picked out our best bet in each and every race, beginning with the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes.
2024 Coral-Eclipse Stakes tips
This is a race that revolves around the Epsom Derby hero City Of Troy, as he takes on older rivals for the first time. The son of Justify suffered a huge dent to his reputation when blowing out in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, but he roared right back to form with a classy display at Epsom, one which stands him out here on ratings.
With the drop back in trip unlikely to deter him, it’s impossible to oppose City Of Troy, who is fancied to take this challenge in his stride and set himself out as the leading light in his generation. It’s worth noting that each of the last three winners of this have been three-year-olds, a pattern which ought to continue here.
In all honesty, this looks to be an excellent opportunity for City Of Troy, with only two older rivals standing in his way. With both having plenty to prove at present, the biggest threats look likely to come from his fellow three-year-olds, in the form of Epsom sixth Dancing Gemini and French Derby fourth Ghostwriter.
City Of Troy is clear on the figures and bearing in mind that Aidan O’Brien has won two of the last three renewals of this, he is fancied to win this for a record eighth time.
🏇 Back City Of Troy at 2-7 in the 2024 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park with Betfred 🏇
Coral Play “Racing-Super-Series” For Free Handicap tips
We kick things off with an intriguing three-year-old handicap over seven furlongs, in which Spanish Blaze is fancied to go in again. The son of Phoenix Of Spain took his record to two from two over course and distance when kicking from the front here last month and raised just 4lbs for that length success, he can go in again.
🏇 Bet on Spanish Blaze with bet365 🏇
Coral Charge tips
This Group 3 sprint can often serve as a platform to bigger things and Desperate Hero is fancied to prove he deserves his place in pattern company. The four-year-old has been in fine form so far this campaign and built on a heavy ground success at Goodwood in May when sauntering clear on a better surface at Hamilton last month.
That Goodwood form has been working out well and his four and a half success last time suggested that he was well worth a try in this company. With more improvement a possibility, he can complete the hat-trick.
🏇 Bet on Desperate Hero at talkSPORT BET 🏇
Coral Challenge Handicap tips
Classic looked unfortunate not to return to winning ways when second over course and distance last month and can go one place better with a bit more luck in-running. The son of Dubawi suffered from traffic issues when weaving his way through the field last time, just failing by a neck, and he looks primed to take this raised just 1lbs by the assessor.
Coral Distaff tips
A Listed contest which threw up a 22-1 surprise last year, but is fancied to go the way of the Ralph Beckett-trained Indelible. The three-year-old completed a double on reappearance at Doncaster in May and she built on that when producing an excellent effort to finish fourth in last month’s Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot. She did the best of those on the far side that day and a similar performance ought to see her go close.
🏇 Bet on Indelible with Sky Bet 🏇
Coral Racing Club Handicap tips
Highland Spring shaped well when fifth over a mile at Kempton at the end of last month, finishing his race really well. He should relish the extra quarter of a mile here and dropped 1lb by the assessor, looks to be lurking on an attractive mark.
🏇Bet on Highland Spring with Betfred 🏇
Coral Daily Rewards Shaker Handicap tips
We close the card with a big field handicap contest, in which market clues ought to provide some strong clues. Without the benefit of those at the time of writing, it will be a surprise if Chasing Aphrodite didn’t go close in his bid for a double.
The five-year-old benefitted from a good front-running ride from Tom Marquand when winning over course and distance last month and he should still be competitive under a 4lbs rise. Hayley Turner rates as a more than capable deputy and he should be right in the mix in the finale.
🏇 Bet on Chasing Aphrodite with bet365 🏇
About the Coral-Eclipse Stakes 2024
The Coral-Eclipse is a hugely prestigious race in the British racing calendar, which traditionally takes place each year on the first Saturday in July at Sandown Park Racecourse.
Run over a distance of a mile and a quarter (one mile and two furlongs), the Eclipse is the first opportunity for three-year-old horses to face off against their older rivals. The Classic generation have a good recent record in the race, winning each of the last three renewals including last year with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Paddington.
The race is named after the legendary horse Eclipse from the 18th Century, who was unbeaten in 18 starts and went on to become a leading sire in retirement. The race has been sponsored by the bookmaker Coral since 1976, becoming synonymous with the Group 1 contest.
First established in 1886, the race is one that is soaked in history and some world-class horses have won the Group 1 contest over the years, including Mill Reef (1971), Brigadier Gerard (1972), Dancing Brave (1986), Sea The Stars (2009) and Enable (2019).
2024 Coral-Eclipse Stakes prize money
The Coral-Eclipse is a hugely lucrative Group 1 contest, with a total prize pot of £750,000 up for grabs. The full prize money breakdown is as follows:
- 1st – £425,325
- 2nd – £161,250
- 3rd – £80,700
- 4th – £40,200
- 5th – £20,175
- 6th – £10,125
2024 Coral-Eclipse Stakes jockey overview
We’re set for a field of eight runners for Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse, with only one of the jockeys that are due to ride having won the race before.
That man is Ryan Moore, who has won the race on three occasions, including last year with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Paddington. You can find all the details of Moore’s three Eclipse Stakes winners below.
- Ryan Moore (City Of Troy) – 3 wins on Notnowcato in 2007, St Mark’s Basilica in 2021 and Paddington in 2023
Coral-Eclipse Stakes trainer overview
Taking a look at yards which have won the big race in the past can often prove to be a useful starting point when looking for a horse to bet on and the Coral-Eclipse is no different.
Of the seven yards that are set to be represented in Saturday’s feature, just two of those have won the race before, though the man to concentrate on is Aidan O’Brian.
The Ballydoyle maestro has won the race a record seven times and is set to be represented by two runners this time around – including the red hot favourite City Of Troy. We have listed the full details of each yard with a Coral-Eclipse victory and their runners for you below.
Aidan O’Brien
- Seven winners: Giant’s Causeway (2000), Hawk Wing (2002), Oratorio (2005), Mount Nelson (2008), So You Think (2011), St Mark’s Basilica (2021) and Paddington (2023)
- Two runners: City Of Troy (1-3) and Hans Andersen (100-1)
Brian Meehan
- One winner: David Junior (2006)
- One runner: Jayarebe (25-1)
Coral-Eclipse Stakes previous winners
Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Paddington | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien | 3 |
2022 | Vadeni | Christophe Soumillon | Jean-Claude Rouget | 3 |
2021 | St Mark’s Basilica | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien | 3 |
2020 | Ghaiyyath | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | 5 |
2019 | Enable | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | 5 |
2018 | Roaring Lion | Oisin Murphy | John Gosden | 3 |
2017 | Ulysses | Jim Crowley | Sir Michael Stoute | 4 |
2016 | Hawkbill | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | 3 |
* Three-year-olds were excluded from running in the 2020 renewal due to the Covid pandemic.
How to bet on the 2024 Coral-Eclipse Stakes
The Coral-Eclipse is one of the most prestigious and exciting Flat racing events of the entire season in the UK, which sees the three-year-old middle distance horses face off against older rivals for the very first time.
With the race being broadcast on ITV1 in the run-up to England’s crunch Euro 2024 clash with Switzerland, there’s every chance that the race will be watched by plenty of people who haven’t seen a lot of horse racing before.
If that applies to you, fear not. We have put together a short step-by-step guide to betting on the 2024 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown for you below.
- Log into your betting account. If you don’t have one, you can find plenty of suggestions linked into this article.
- If you need to create an account, find a sign up betting offer that suits your needs and navigate through to the sign up page.
- Once you are fully logged in, navigate to the ‘horse racing’ section.
- Find the racing taking place at Sandown Park on Saturday 6th June 2024 and navigate to the 3.35pm contest.
- You now need to select a horse to bet on in the Eclipse. You can either follow the expert betting tips in this article, or you can look at all the racing form on your betting site.
- Once you have a betting selection, add them to your betslip by clicking on the odds next to their name.
- You should be able to see your horse in the betslip. Input your stake into the box.
- Once you are happy, click on ‘place bets’. You are ready to go, good luck!
How to watch the 2024 running of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes
The ITV Racing cameras will be at Sandown Park on Saturday and are due to show four races live on ITV1, including the feature race. The remaining three contests that haven’t been chosen for terrestrial coverage will be screened live on Racing TV, while you can stream all British and Irish racing with the vast majority of high street bookmakers.
FAQ about the 2024 Coral-Eclipse Stakes tips and previews
The Coral Eclipse is a massive part of the British racing calendar, as it can have huge implications for the future breeding careers of the three-year-olds taking part in the race.
It’s a very popular race with punters, even for people who don’t have too much of an interest in the race. If that applies to you and you are unsure about how betting on horse racing works, we’ve answered three of the most frequently asked questions for you below.
1. Which bookmakers are offering the best promotions or bonuses for the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown races?
There are lots of excellent sign up offers available for the Coral-Eclipse, it’s all about picking a site which works for you. There is something for everyone and you can find a host of free bet offers to browse higher up in the article.
2. What’s the best way for beginners to use the Coral-Eclipse Stakes tips for betting?
Trying to understand the intricate details of Horse Racing can be daunting for beginners, but it just takes time. A key piece of advice is to simply read as much information as possible, as this will help you grow your knowledge base quickly. In the meantime, you can digest the expert advice and racing tips in this article and you can also grab free horse racing tips from websites like Talksport, Timeform and Racing Post.
3. Is the Coral-Eclipse Stakes the biggest race of the year?
The Coral-Eclipse is a race which has a huge amount of importance both on and off the track. The Group 1 contest offers the first chance for the three-year-olds to race against older rivals and they can guarantee a lucrative career at stud if successful. The race itself is hugely popular amongst punters, too, with a crowd of around 12,500 expected at Sandown.
About the author
Nick Seddon
A sports journalist with more than a decade of experience, Nick has covered some of the biggest events in sport, from the Grand National and the Epsom Derby in horse racing to Walsall against Wigan Athletic in League One.
Follow Nick on X: @nickseddon_
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