TWICE OVER (GB) (Observatory) on Monday headed a field of 13 acceptors for
Saturday’s G1 Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) at Sandown, but trainer Henry Cecil is
watching the weather ahead of the 10-furlong contest. Runner-up in the June 16
Prince of Wales’s S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot, the five-year-old will not be
risked if the ground is too quick.
“He is in really good form, but he wouldn’t want any ground with any jar in
it,” Cecil told the Racing Post. “We have the Juddmonte International
([Eng-G1] at York August 17), Champion S. ([Eng-G1] at Newmarket October 16),
Breeders’ Cup (G1) and Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) as his other main targets and we
wouldn’t want to ruin him running him on fast ground.”
Juddmonte may also be represented by the Sir Michael Stoute trainee ZACINTO
(GB) (Danehill), who will be stepping up in trip for the first time following a
latest fourth in the Queen Anne S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot June 15, while DAR RE
MI (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) will bid to provide the Lloyd-Webbers and trainer John
Gosden with a fourth top-level success.
Aidan O’Brien has left in six sophomores including last year’s Dewhurst S.
(Eng-G1) first, second and fourth finishers BEETHOVEN (Ire) (Oratorio [Ire]),
FENCING MASTER (Oratorio [Ire]) and STEINBECK (Footstepsinthesand [GB])
alongside the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) third runner VISCOUNT NELSON
(Giant’s Causeway).
MAWATHEEQ (Danzig), the 2009 Champion S. runner-up, also features, while
Sariska (Pivotal) and Rip Van Winkle (Ire) (Galileo [Ire]) were the most notable
withdrawals.