RACING PREVIEWS:SEA THE STARS faces older horses for the first time in his career, as well as ground possibly not quite as fast as to be perfect for the 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner, in today's Eclipse at Sandown. But those betting that either factor will catch out the Irish superstar may be guilty of a considerable amount of self-delusion.
Between 10-15mm of rain at the London track on Thursday night turned the ground good yesterday, but with a dry forecast for the weekend it doesn't look a similarly stressful scenario compared to the one that John Oxx endured before last week's Irish Derby.
Instead, the Curragh trainer's decision to bypass that Classic in favour of a drop back to 10 furlongs today looks to have paid off as Sea The Stars pursues a Group One hat-trick over different distances last achieved by Nashwan 20 years ago. References to Nashwan were all over the place in the run-up to the Epsom Derby, and it's not just statistically that they look apt today too.
In 1989, Nashwan's main Eclipse rival looked to be the top older filly Indian Skimmer, whose 200 to 1 pacemaker Opening Verse set off to such effect that a furlong out it looked like he'd stolen the race. Ultimately Nashwan beat him by five lengths, but the role of pacemakers could again be vital.
Aidan O'Brien has put in both Set Sail and Malibu Bay to guarantee a pace for Rip Van Winkle, who teams up with Jimmy Fortune for the first time. The St Leger and Breeders' Cup hero Conduit also has a pacemaker in the race. It's not unreasonable then to expect a tempo as hot as the recent London weather.
Conduit and Rip Van Winkle will be suited by that, but not any more than Sea The Stars, whose most dangerous moments at Epsom came just after the start when that unusually slow pace made him take quite a tug before eventually settling.
Certainly the pace today can be no quicker than they went in the Newmarket Guineas when the colt was hard "on-the-steel" the whole way before being unleashed by Michael Kinane.
It's not hard to visualise a similar scenario this afternoon with Sea The Stars stalking the leaders and using all that finishing pace to devastating effect again.
Even the normally cautious Oxx sounded confident yesterday.
"Epsom took nothing out of him," he said. "He has worked with his usual enthusiasm and you expect three-year-olds to improve throughout the season. We have high hopes for him. He has got a favourite's chance."
Other Irish interest at Sandown today will centre on Eddie Lynam's versatile Group Three winner Duff, who takes his chance in the opening sprint against the likes of the "Greek freak" Ialysos and Captain Gerrard.
This evening's home action sees Bellewstown wind up its three-day meeting, and although the opening 12-furlong maiden features the return of the high-class jumper De Valira, this looks a good opportunity for another Oxx representative, Takasima.
