Saturday, 7 July 2012

The Coral Eclipse Stakes 070712


The Coral Eclipse Stakes takes place today Sandown, 7th July. A group 1 run over 1M 2F, it is the first chance for the classic generation to take on the older horses at the highest level, In recent years there have not been many takers from the 3yo ranks. Racing has taken a body blow because of the appalling weather and ground conditions and the top horses from this year have been withdrawn  
The trends for the past 10 years: 
Age
3yo: 3-4-24 Bonfire and Cogito
4yo: 3-9-31 Farhh (supplemented and that was when the defections were starting to happen!)  Nathaniel  and  Crackerjack king
5yo: 4-2-21 Monterso
6yo+: 0-1-7 Sri Putra City Style Cityscape Twice Over (who won this race in 2010 and is the only CDG winner in the line up)
No strong trends on age, though this race has not been won by horse aged over 5 in past 100 years. (to be fair they did not have entries until 1965 ) but that is still 47 years! and the way this race has cut up it could be due for a statistical change 

All three 3yo winners were trained in Ireland & finished in first 4 in the 2000 Guineas.
All seven older winners ran at Royal Ascot last time.

Gender
Mares (0-0-5) have failed to fill a single place despite 3 of their 5 representatives in this being sent off shorter than 5/1. That’s only interesting –as there are no Fem’s entered!

Recent/Past Form
10 of 10 winners achieved career highest RPR in last 3 starts
10 of 10 winners had run between 2 and 4 times that season
10 of 10 winners had run in past 30 days
6 of 10 winners had won over 1M 2F+ (2 of 4 exceptions were 3yos)
10 of 10 winners had won a group 1
9 of 10 winners finished 1st or 2nd in a group 1 this year
7 of 10 winners were having first course start (2 others were CD winners)
2 of 3 winners aged 3 had won a group 1 as a 2yo (exception had won a group 2 and not contested a group 1 as a juvenile)
Other Races
Previous year's highest finisher to return: 4113 (2-0-4)
Previous year's Juddmonte Int'l winner (Twice Over): 21 (1-1-2)
Dubai Duty Free winner (Cityscape): 1 (1-0-1)
Dante Stakes winner (Bonfire): 22 (0-2-2) 
Premio Presidente Della Repubblica winner (Crackerjack King): 3 (0-0-1)
Previous year's Italian Derby winner (Crackerjack King): 4 (0-0-1)
5 of 10 winners ran in Prince of Wales Stakes last time, finishing 54322
2 of 10 winners ran in Queen Anne Stakes last time, finishing 15
4 of 10 winners ran in the previous season's Champion Stakes, finishing 1801
3 of 3 winners aged 3 ran in the 2000 Guineas, finishing 241
3 of 3 winners aged 3 ran in the Epsom Derby, finishing 201
2 of 10 winners ran in Mooresbridge Stakes, finishing 61
2 of 10 winners ran in Tattersalls Gold Cup, finishing 11
2 of 10 winners ran in the Dubai Duty Free, finishing 81
7 of 7 winners aged 4+ finished in first 5 in Prince of Wales or Queen Anne Stakes last time
3 of 3 winners aged 3 finished in first 4 in 2000 Guineas & finished in the first 3 in the Derby or St James’ Palace last time
Trainers
Aidan O’Brien (4-3-17) has trained the winner 4 times in the past 10 years .BUT HAS NO RUNNER TODAY
Brian Meehan (1-1-3) and Henry Cecil (1-1-4) have each saddled the winner and a placed finisher in past 10 runnings.
Saeed Bin Suroor (1-0-7) has also trained the winner since 2002.

Price
10 of 10 winners have come from the first 4 in the betting
Only one winner in the past decade was sent off greater than 8/1.
Favourites (4-4-10) have supplied the last 3 winners however they show a level stakes loss of 0.61 over past 10 years.

Summary:
Based on the trends from the past 10 years you are looking for a horse:
·         Male aged 3 that finished in first 4 in 2000 Guineas & Derby or
·         Males aged 4 or 5 that finished first 5 at Royal Ascot last time
·         Had 2 to 4 runs this season
·         Run in last 30 days
·         Achieved highest RPR in last 3 starts
·         Had won a group 1
·         Finished in first 2 in a group 1 in 2012
·         Finished in first 5 in Queen Anne, Prince Of Wales or Derby last time
·         From first 4 in the betting

Cityscape  had a howler of a race last time at Sha Tin 6th of May  starting off odds on  had surprised most people with a facile success in the Duty Free, He had a favourable trip that day, which certainly wasn´t the case here. Slowly away, he got caught on the heels of Fair Trade when trying to make his run and when out in the clear was never going to be able to pick up the front five. He´s a solid Group 1 performer without being the superstar many hailed him as after Meydan. But he loves this track and to be honest you can forgive him his last run and remembering his 2 and a half lengths second to Dick Turpin who was in its pomp over a miles here on good ground   Held up last early, he was switched to the wide outside 2f out and eyeballed the favourite for a few strides, but the winner then produced another gear. There is no doubt Cityscape is up to this class, not least when he gets today’s easier conditions.  Against him is the age stat - for him is the ground and the defection of the classier 3 and 4 yr olds. Roger Charlton yard is firing on all cylinders with 5 winners and 1placed from 10 runners he has stayed 1m1f very well. Can he stay 1m2f with the Hill to contend with? I think he will with the g/soft ground in his favor. 

 Bonfire won the Dante in a very fast time on g/soft and this is his trip on breeding- is it his track? Had little to find with Camelot in the Derby but had a hard race in the Dante and was never going to stay 1m4f and was found wanting for stamina. He didn´t handle the track either and will appreciate dropping back to 1m2f the worry is Sandown Hill for this one in a fast run race.

those two will do for me today

 Bob

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