Al Kazeem leads all-star cast on Coral Eclipse day

The Eclipse never fails to attract a top quality field and this year is no exception as the first three from Royal Ascot’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes clash again. Al Kazeem is favourite to confirm the placings but connections of Mukhadram and The Fugue are optimistic of turning things around.

There is no Camelot but Aidan O’Brien saddles two leading contenders in Queen Anne Stakes winner Declaration of War and the three-year-old Mars. Pistorius from Germany and Clive Brittain’s outsider Miblish complete the seven-runner field with the race due off at 3.50.

The action starts at 1.30 when Roger Charlton will be hoping that Pythagorian can get his day off to the best possible start. He faces a tough rival in Sir Michael Stoute’s six-length Kempton winner Plover.

The Coral Charge at 2.05 sees the Robert Cowell-trained pair of Kingsgate Native and Spirit Quartz dropped in grade after disappointing in the King’s Stand Stakes at Ascot. Opposition includes Lady Cecil’s Tickled Pink and Epsom Dash winner Duke Of Firenze.

The Coral Challenge Handicap at 2.40 could go the way of the three-year-olds with Mark Johnston’s Windhoek and Richard Hannon’s Wentworth heading the market. Luca Cumani’s Rockalong and William Haggas’s Danchai will also be popular in a race that is already proving popular with the punters.

Several smart fillies turn out for the Coral Distaff at 3.15 with the second, third and fourth in Ascot’s Sandringham Handicap set to do battle once again. The weights clearly favour Nargys on this occasion but she could face a threat from the unbeaten Integral.

The Coral Marathon at 4.25 could go the way of the John Gosden and William Buick combination with Caucus, a fine second to Gold Cup winner Estimate last time out. The biggest danger may come from Model Pupil who was not disgraced at the Royal meeting in seventh place.

The Coral Backing MacMillan Cancer Support Handicap brings the curtain down on a fantastic day’s racing when the Stoute-Moore combination have another strong fancy in Circus Turn.