Will Ombudsman Rule in the Clash of the Generations?

[Wandering Eyes]

When it comes to Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse, there has been a shift of power to the Classic generation in recent times with seven of the last ten going their way. Saturday's renewal will either see a fifth consecutive success for the 3-year-olds or a break in the sequence and the onus is on Ombudsman to reestablish the reputation of the older horses. Godolphin's son of Night Of Thunder is the key protagonist on his emphatic Prince of Wales's Stakes success last month and to date has no blemish on his record.

Carefully nurtured by John and Thady Gosden last term, the progressive colt dealt with Anmaat and co without mercy as he finally showed his hand at Royal Ascot but now needs to back up on quick ground in a different test.

In a select renewal, the Wertheimers' Sosie (Sea The Stars) is the other 4-year-old and he bids to provide Andre Fabre with a first Eclipse and while his narrow defeat of Map Of Stars in the G1 Prix Ganay means he has something to find withe favourite, he did beat the speedier Sardinian Warrior in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan last time and it will be fascinating to see how his reinvention from mile-and-a-half supremo develops.

Racing Manager Pierre-Yves Bureau is relishing the prospect. “We felt it was the time we travel with him, it's the first time and I hope everything will be okay,” he said.  “When he won the Grand Prix de Paris last year it was on good ground and I don't think there will be a problem with this. His dam was a miler, so we tried and he performed nicely in the Ganay. We have been very lucky with all this family. They are good fighters and I'd say that's what we'll need tomorrow.”

Turning to the 3-year-olds, there is no doubt that Aidan O'Brien will have a say in matters with Ryan Moore picking Delacroix (Dubawi) over Camille Pissaro (Wootton Bassett) in a surprise twist. Take out his Derby flop and the former, a son of Dubawi who beat Lambourn convincingly over this trip in Leopardstown's G3 Ballysax Stakes, remains one of the yard's kingpins and the fact that he is favoured over a Prix du Jockey Club winner speaks volumes.

“The only horse who is yet to win at the top level is mine and we're hoping he can bounce back from the Derby, where everything went wrong for him,” Moore said. “I'd say the track probably didn't suit and the mile and a half was just too far. There's nothing between Camille Pissarro and Delacroix, just a pound on official ratings.”

Surprisingly, the 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court (Justify) is considered an outsider here despite running like a 10-furlong performer in the St James's Palace. Maybe it is because William Buick is on Ombudsman, but it is not a choice he would have relished with the 10 pounds weight-for-age differential levelling things up.

“The tempo of the St James's Palace Stakes was completely different to what Ruling Court encountered in the 2,000 Guineas. They went an end-to-end gallop and he never really looked comfortable throughout the race,” Charlie Appleby explained. “We have always wanted to step him up in trip and a mile and a quarter is probably the ideal distance to aim for as a first try over middle distances.”

“Conditions at Sandown look there to suit. He has won around the course before and has a significant weight pull against the older horses, which can often come into play in an Eclipse. It's a small but very strong field and he's a Classic-winning colt who doesn't look out of place.”

Lofty Ambitions On The Line For Estrange…

Saturday's other high-profile action is at Haydock, where Cheveley Park's exciting filly Estrange (Night Of Thunder) is the heavy favourite for the G2 Lancashire Oaks. David O'Meara was talking about the Arc after her course-and-distance romp in the G3 Lester Piggott Stakes and she will need to deal with three rivals with a degree of ease to remain in that conversation.

“The ease with which she won did take me a bit by surprise, but we did expect her to put up a good show,” her trainer said. “Amazing Maria was brilliant for us, then we also had G Force, while Mondialiste gave me great satisfaction when we took him to Canada and he won the Woodbine Mile. Far more of those good horses end up in other yards, so we are very aware that we are very fortunate to have Estrange in the yard and Cheveley Park Stud have always been very supportive to us.”

Shadow Of Light | Emma Berry

Shadow Of Light Bids For Redemption…

Sunday's G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville affords Godolphin's G1 Middle Park Stakes and G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Shadow Of Light (Lope De Vega) the opportunity to atone for his reversal in last month's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Probably in need of this seven-furlong trip now, he faces Bond Thoroughbred's recent acquisition Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett) who is back over the same course and distance of his G3 Prix Djebel success. In a fascinating contest, Juddmonte's Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Cosmic Year (Kingman), Ballydoyle's G3 Acomb Stakes winner The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars) and Resolute Bloodstock's G3 Prix Texanita winner Woodshauna (Wooded) provide an exotic mix.

Charlie Appleby is looking for Shadow Of Light to bounce back from his Royal Ascot disappointment. “The drop back in trip and quick ground caught out Shadow Of Light in the Commonwealth Cup, but he came out of the race in great nick,” he said. “Stepping back up to seven furlongs is a positive and hopefully the ground at Deauville will be a bit more forgiving. We will be on weather watch and a decision will be made on the day after we have had a look at the ground. I can't fault his preparation going into this and feel he is the horse to beat if he can run up to anywhere near the form of his Guineas third.”

In Sunday's 156th G1 Deutsches Derby at Hamburg, the 18 protagonists are headed by Rennstall Gestut Hachtsee's G2 Union-Rennen winner Zuckerhut (Almanzor), Gestut Park Wiedingen's G3 Bavarian Classic winner Path Of Soldier (Soldier Hollow) and Westminster Stud's G3 Diana-Trial scorer Lady Charlotte (Golden Horn). Also in the mix are Hajro Jusufovic's G3 Baden-Baden Derby-Trial winner Juwelier (Wootton Bassett) and Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Convergent (Fascinating Rock), not seen since finishing third behind Lambourn and Lazy Griff in the G3 Chester Vase.

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