Golden Horn on course for historic Coral-Eclipse victory

Golden Horn powers home to provide jockey Frankie Dettori a second Derby success. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Golden Horn will look to become the first Investec Derby champion since 2009 to win the Coral-Eclipse and British Classic in the same season after he was declared alongside 4 rivals for the Sandown Park contest this Saturday.

John Gosden’s three-year-old, who is unbeaten in his career, is also set to be the fifth Derby hero to line up at the Surrey-based track following success at Epsom in the last 20 years, with Sea The Stars the only successful champion to complete the double.

Golden Horn’s assault at Coral-Eclipse glory will see him face unlucky Prince of Wales’s Stakes runner-up The Grey Gatsby, stable mate Western Hymn, Irish raider Cougar Mountain and Andrew Balding’s Tullius for the 2015 renewal.

Adam Ryan, son and assistant to Kevin Ryan, trainer of The Grey Gatsby, said:

“The Grey Gatsby has come out of Royal Ascot fantastically well – he was bucking and squealing the very next day.”

“He had a nice breeze on Tuesday and is ready to go now – it’s just been a case of keeping him ticking over.”

“He has his own idiosyncrasies but the course at Sandown should not be a problem. He’s a very well balanced horse and he proved last time that he goes right-handed. He’s such a fluid mover that he’s at his best on good ground – soft ground blunts his turn of foot.”

“It’s going to be very hard work for him trying to give 11lbs to Golden Horn, who looked very special in the Dante and even better in the Derby, and it will probably take a career best effort to beat him.”

“But our fella has been there and done that and we couldn’t be happier with him – he’s absolutely bouncing.”

“He is still Ryan Moore’s ride but he’s not available so Jamie Spencer will ride him again. Jamie rode him a couple of times last year and gave him a great ride at Ascot – he did nothing wrong, he was just unlucky.”

Coral-Eclipse declarations:

Cougar Mountain, Golden Horn, The Grey Gatsby, Tullius, Western Hymn.