ECLIPSE STAKES:TWICE OVER has a chance this Saturday to erase the memories of Phoenix Tower's painful Coral-Eclipse defeat 12 months ago.
Representing the same trainer-owner team of Henry Cecil and Khalid Abdullah, Twice Over has followed exactly the same path as his former stablemate this season.
The pair started off in the Earl of Sefton and each went close in the Lockinge and Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Phoenix Tower ended up beaten just a short head by Mount Nelson in the Eclipse, but that looked a weaker renewal without the likes of Sea The Stars and Conduit to contend with.
The owner’s racing manager, Teddy Grimthorpe, was not making excuses for Twice Over for his run at Royal Ascot when in front at the two-pole before finishing fourth to Vision D’Etat.
“I don’t think he’s been unlucky,” Grimthorpe said. “Last time he looked like he’d done enough to win the Prince of Wales’s, and then in the last five strides he is passed by three others and finishes fourth. There was nothing unlucky about it, he ran a super race.
“Obviously we are looking at the Eclipse – we might have to get the clerk of the course to water,” joked Grimthorpe, in reference to John Oxx’s decision to withdraw Sea The Stars from last Sunday’s Irish Derby.
“He is an intended runner at this stage, he’s been in very good nick and came out of Ascot really well, but will have to step up again to win.”
Regarding the going, Sandown director of racing Andrew Cooper said: “It has been a hot day and we changed the ground to good on Sunday after 11mm of rain.
“By close of play today we will probably be good, good to firm in places.
“We are forecast hot, dry days until Thursday and would be aiming really for good to firm ground at the weekend, so we will be watering sooner or later.”
Further opposition could come from another Classic winner in Conduit, who landed the St Leger before dropping back to a mile-and-a-half to strike in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Trained by Michael Stoute, he may be joined by stablemate Lang Shining, who also runs in the Ballymacoll Stud silks.
Cima De Triomphe, conqueror of Conduit in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, may take him on again for Luca Cumani, while Aidan O’Brien, responsible for Mount Nelson in 2008, has a strong representation.
Rip Van Winkle looks like his number-one contender, but Malibu Bay, Set Sail and Westphalia could represent Ballydoyle as well.
FESTOSO is likely to bid for the first Pattern-race victory of her career in tomorrow’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse.
Harry Dunlop’s filly finished third behind Natagora in the Cheveley Park Stakes as a juvenile but her Classic campaign was blighted by problems.
She appears to have retained all of her old ability, though, after running out a ready winner of a Listed race at Haydock on her last start.
“The plan is to run but we are monitoring the weather at the moment and, as far as we are aware, the rain is coming, which is what she wants,” said Lambourn-based Dunlop.
“We were absolutely thrilled with her last run and she proved how good she can be when things go right. It will obviously be tough going over there and taking on the Irish but hopefully she’ll have a nice run.”
