True Story given Coral-Eclipse target

True Story is being targeted at the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown after being taken out of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the latest declaration stage, and is 16/1 with the sponsors for the Group 1 contest on Saturday, July 5th.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor feels 1m 2f at the Esher venue will be ideal for his charge, and also provide the colt with a much chance of getting his favoured fast ground with rain forecast at the Curragh.

The impressive Feilden Stakes winner, who finished a creditable seventh of 16 to Austarlia in the Investec Derby when last seen in action, will also run in a visor for the first time.

The Fugue, who put in a scintillating performance when beating Magician and Treve in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, is Coral’s 9/4 favourite for the Sandown showpiece.

The five-year-old is now officially rated 123, 3lb and upwards clear of her potential rivals.

The Richard Hannon trained Night Of Thunder is Coral’s second favourite at 11/4.

The three-year-old beat Kingman in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but was then firmly put in his place by that rival in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The son of Dubawi was forced to make the pace for the first time in the 1m contest and had no answer to Kingman’s electric turn of foot.

However, there was lots to like about the way Night Of Thunder stuck to the task to be beaten 2 3/4 lengths and the step up to 1m 2f looks sure to suit.

Verrazano is next in the betting at 4/1 following his cracking 3/4 length second to Toronado in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.

That was the just the colt’s second run since joining trainer Aidan O’Brien, and the four-year-old is bidding to give the Ballydoyle handler his sixth win in the race.