One of the world’s truly great and historic races will take place at Sandown this Saturday.
The Gr1 Coral-Eclipse, run over 2018 metres, has been won by some of the world’s greatest horses in history and has also played a huge role in uncovering outstanding stallions.

First run in 1886, the Eclipse Stakes was named to honour the great racehorse and sire Eclipse, who went unbeaten in 18 starts before embarking on a stud career which saw him sire four Epsom Derby winners.

The first running of the Eclipse, which was won by Bendigo, was for a purse of £10 000, which made the race the then richest horse-race run in Britain.
Since then, the race has been won by some of the greats of the turf –including Diamond Jubilee, Isinglass, and Flying Fox (all of three of whom were Triple Crown winners), Bayardo, Fairway, Windsor Lad, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Pebbles, Dancing Brave, Daylami and Sea The Stars.

Arguably the most influential sire ever to stand in Ireland, Sadler’s Wells, captured the 1984 Eclipse, while triple US champion sire Giant’s Causeway won the race in 2000. Sadler’s Wells’ son Opera House emulated his sire when victorious in 1993.

Five horses have won the Eclipse (open to three-year-olds and up) –Orme (1892-1893), Buchan (1919, 1920), Polyphontes (1924, 1925), Mtoto (1987 and 1988) and Halling (1995-1995).

Halling, incidentally, will be represented in this year’s Eclipse by his Gr1 Irish Derby/Gr1 Dubai Sheema Classic winning son Jack Hobbs, while Mtoto was ridden to victory both years by champion South African jockey Michael Roberts.

South Africa are lucky enough to stand two former Coral-Eclipse winners, in the form of Twice Over (victorious in the 2010 Eclipse), whose first runners this season include the undefeated Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion winner Sand And Sea, and Oratorio –another young stallion whose first South African crop has set the turf alight, while previous Eclipse winners to have stood at stud in this country included Daylami and Mystery 
 
Nine  runners have been declared for the 2017 Eclipse, with the field headed by top 3yos Barney Roy, Eminent and Cliffs Of Moher. The race is carded to get underway at 4:35 (SAF time).