TONY CALVIN: WEEKEND DETAILS

NINE IN ECLIPSE

There were 34 in the Coral-Eclipse on Monday morning and we are down to nine now.

Eight were confirmed from the original entries – and we are waiting to find out who the mystery supplementary entry is…

And that horse is King’s Gambit, somewhat surprisingly.

That cost connections 50k, but owners Wathnan can afford it, though.

Of the nine, entries Hawk Mountain and Causeway have been supplemented for the German Derby on Sunday, so they are perhaps unlikely runners at Sandown.

Or are they?

Wait

Who knows though? Apparently, they won’t make a decision until Wednesday/Thursday (hard as that is to believe) as to what is going to Esher, including the current favourite Constitution River.

Too many horses, too many options, but the top UK races would be a desolate wasteland without Ballydoyle.

I’ll see what the final fields bring here and, looking at the double entries below,, that seems a sensible way to approach the weekend’s racing elsewhere, too.

The fields look likely to stand up which probably means better price and place terms in the main if we wait.

Ante-post books aren’t known for their generous percentages.

Hopefully, Klassleader, the 2s favourite, turns up in the Old Newton Cup though, as he looked a right one at York. But will he run again before the Ebor as he is now on a mark of 98?

They may want to make doubly-sure of a run, I suppose, and this is a 125k race.

Wednesday look

I’m busy on Tuesday but I’ll have a look at the markets on Wednesday, though.

There may be something that catches my eye – and we may have even heard from Aidan and The Lads by then.

Wednesday 1pm update – Supplemented then scratched

We still haven’t heard about Eclipse running plans.

This is a very hard sport to market.

Hawk Mountain and Causeway were supplemented for the German Derby earlier in the week – and now they have been scratched.

Oh, the hokey cokey….

Depressingly, I imagine we will find out plans from the betting first.

2.12pm

According to a Racing Post story this afternoon, O’Brien is set to run both Constitution River and Hawk Mountain, so if you have taken a price on anything else, you are in a poor position, odds-wise.

TBC by Thursday 10am, though….

Watering

Be aware that Sandown and Newmarket are not sparing the watering can (see below) and the July course is infamous for inaccurate and misleading going descriptions after  irrigation.

COURSE DETAILS

SANDOWN

GOING

Round: Good (Good to Firm in places) – Going stick 6.9, Thu 8am

Sprint: Good (from good, good to firm in places after watering) – Going stick 6.6, Thu 8am

Soil Moisture 43% at midday Tuesday

Rails: Round Course rail on innermost configuration, with distances as advertised. Sprint Course rail 2 yards in from Far Side.

Stalls: Sprint Course – Far Side (rail 2 yards in) Remainder – Inside

THURSDAY COURSE UPDATE: 7.6mm rain morning of Tuesday 23 June. 0.5mm rain early Saturday morning. Dry since. 25/26 degree days Wednesday and Thursday. 27 Friday.

 WATERING: Generally 5mm applications most days last week. 5mm Saturday. 5mm Monday. 5mm Tuesday. 5mm to Round Course Wednesday. 2.5mm to 5mm selectively on Thursday.

 Weather forecast (yr.no as at 8am Thursday): Dry, hot and sunny

NEWMARKET (transferred fixture from Haydock – 30mm in total watered on Tuesday and Thursday)

GOING: Good to firm

Rails: Far Side Course in use.

Stalls: Centre

GOING STICK: 7.5, Wed 7am

THURSDAY COURSE UPDATE: Dry forecast with daytime highs of 24c before increasing for Saturday with a high of 26c.

WATERING: 15mm applied on Tuesday, further 15mm to be applied on Thursday.

 Weather forecast (yr.no as at 8am Thursday): Dry, hot and sunny

DOUBLE ENTRIES

1.50pm Sandown: Havana Hurricane (due to run at Sandown on Friday, so steer clear ante-post)

NB: Mitbaahy and Palmeira are in early-closers next week

2.05pm Newmarket: Leonato

NB: Amora Queen and Arc Ole Ole are in early-closers next week

2.25pm Sandown: No Retreat , Stem, Walsingham

NB: Balmacara and Laureate Crown and Ozat are in an early-closer next week;

2.40pm Newmarket: NONE

NB: Tiffany is in an early-closer next week

3pm Sandown: NONE

NB: Secret Of Life in early-closers on July 9 and 10

3.15pm Newmarket:  Ammes, Explode (last of eight at Windsor on Monday night)

NB: Burdett Road and El Burhan and Fierce Fortitude and Klassleader and Majestic and Sportingsilvermine and Tycoon and Valedictory are in an early-closer next week

3.35pm Sandown: NONE