Golden Horn looks to Eclipse four older rivals at Sandown

With just four older horses lining up to test his mettle in what has long

been known as the "first clash of the generations" in Saturday's Eclipse S.

(Eng-G1) at Sandown, the path is clear for Golden Horn (Cape Cross) to extend

his autocracy into the wider sphere.

A week after the dominating display of his stable companion Jack Hobbs (Halling)

in an Irish Derby (Ire-G1) that only served to confirm the gravity of the latest

renewal of Epsom's blue riband, Anthony Oppenheimer's bay has that unbeatable

aura around him as he lines up in Esher's prize contest. With that barn mate 3

1/2 lengths behind in the June 6 classic and the Irish Derby second and third

Storm the Stars (Sea the Stars) and Giovanni Canaletto (Galileo) much further

adrift, there is no denying that he sets a lofty standard, especially as he

enjoys an 11-pound weight-for-age pull with this trio of four-year-olds and one

seven-year-old. Trainer John Gosden is taking nothing for granted, however.

"I think the odds are a little bit unusual and I don't think they're

representative of the chances the other horses have," he said. "I've no

illusions about it. It's a mile and a quarter on a track that can favor

front-runners and against older horses. I've bags of respect for those horses

and nothing is a given. Any horse can get beaten, it happened to Nijinsky,

Kingman in the Guineas; I'm never going to let that worry me."

Despite his caution, Gosden is happy with how the homebred is coming into

this challenge.

"He has a good constitution -- his favorite two occupations are eating and

sleeping," the conditioner added. "There's no harm in that. He's quite relaxed

and quite lazy sometimes in his work. He's lazy in his races sometimes as well,

but he's a grand horse."

Anthony Oppenheimer is another who is not treating the race as a penalty kick

and added, "I believe he is developing and I believe he's going extremely well,

so I think it's going to be a fantastic race. When you get only four or five

runners then it's completely tactical, but it could be one of the most exciting

races you'll see all year. It's anybody's race. The betting is mad. They should

all be almost the same price."

As for future targets for the star sophomore, Oppenheimer added, "The King

George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. ([Eng-G1] at Ascot July 25) is certainly on the

agenda. We haven't got to the bottom of him, so I'll be disappointed if he

doesn't run in the King George."

Best of his rivals on form is The Grey Gatsby (Mastercraftsman), who has been

in the position of being the under-rated underdog before and he arguably upset

as heavyweight a Derby winner as Golden Horn in September when getting the

better of Australia in the Irish Champion S. (Ire-G1) at Leopardstown. Last

year's Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-G1) hero has failed to set the world alight so

far in 2015, with a second to Solow (Singspiel) in the Dubai Turf (UAE-G1) at

Meydan March 28 followed by a below-par fourth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup

(Ire-G1) at The Curragh May 24.

Back to something like his best fitted with first-time cheekpieces when a

seemingly unlucky second to Free Eagle (High Chaparral) in Royal Ascot's Prince

of Wales's S. (Eng-G1) June 17, Frank Gillespie's colt holds Sandown specialist

Western Hymn (High Chaparral) on that form.

Trainer Kevin Ryan's son Adam Ryan commented, "The Grey Gatsby has come out

of Royal Ascot fantastically well -- he was bucking and squealing the very next

day. He has his own idiosyncrasies, but the course at Sandown should not be a

problem. He's such a fluid mover that he's at his best on good ground; soft

ground blunts his turn of foot. The quicker the better for him.

"It's going to be very hard work for him trying to give 11 pounds to Golden

Horn, who looked very special in the Dante and even better in the Derby. To do

that in any sort of race is tough enough, but to do that in a Group 1 against a

horse that looks fairly special is a tough ask and it will probably take a

career-best effort to beat him."

Golden Horn's stable companion Western Hymn is unbeaten over this track and

trip, with his three visits yielding wins in the Classic Trial (Eng-G3) last

April, the Gordon Richards S. (Eng-G3) April 24 and Brigadier Gerard S. (Eng-G3)

May 28 prior to his third at the Royal meeting. He proved on the last two

occasions that he handles quicker ground, but would hold stronger claims if this

was staged on his favored soft.

"He clearly likes Sandown and he's in good form," Gosden said. "He could

probably have done with the thunderstorms that were forecast, but failed to

materialize. He has won on good-to-firm, but easier ground might have

inconvenienced others more than him."

Cougar Mountain (Fastnet Rock) remains relatively unexposed from Ballydoyle

and made a significant jump forward when a staying-on third in the Queen Anne S.

(Eng-G1) over a mile at Royal Ascot June 16. Thought speedy enough to contest

the Nunthorpe S. (Eng-G1) over five furlongs at York in August after finishing a

close-up fifth in the July Cup (Eng-G1) on only his second start at Newmarket a

month previously, the bay is an intriguing contender upped to this trip for the

first time.

Lancashire Oaks

Saturday's Lancashire Oaks (Eng-G2) at Haydock lacks an obvious star turn, as

it has done in recent times, but it remains a marker of prestige for the winner

and the line-up looks as competitive as it is wide-open.

One of the most improved mares in Britain so far in 2015 is Miss Marjurie (Marju),

who is on a three-timer after smooth wins in the Daisy Warwick S. at Goodwood

May 2 and Pinnacle S. (Eng-G3) over this track and 1 1/2-mile trip four weeks

later. On the latter occasion, she had the unlucky Lady Tiana (Sir Percy) back

in third and it will be interesting to see how they fare with clear runs this

time.

Miss Marjurie's conditioner, Denis Coakley, is hoping the best horse he has

trained can bring his small stable even further into the limelight.

"We always knew she was a good filly and she didn't get luck-in-running last

year, so we're not surprised by what she's done," he explained. "She should run

as well as she ran at Haydock last time -- if that's good enough, we'll have to

wait and see."

Lady Tiana's trainer Lucy Wadham is looking forward to the rematch.

"I don't think it looks any stronger a race and I think we were very unlucky

last time," she said. "She got no run but was third under a very tender ride and

of course we've now had the rain so we go there feeling pretty optimistic. She

was pretty fit last time and didn't really have the opportunity to have a race.

She's fresh and well and ready to go."

William Haggas-trained Wonderstruck (Sea the Stars) to split that pair in the

Pinnacle and puts forward a duo this time in Queen of Ice (Selkirk) and Arabian

Comet (Dubawi). First and second, respectively, when a nose separated them in

the Galtres S. at this distance at York last August, the latter was an

eye-catching third after a troubled trip in the Daisy Warwick on her return and

has the scope to progress into a leading middle-distance performer this term.

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