Al Riffa © Photo Healy Racing
Joseph O’Brien will attempt to spoil the party when Al Riffa takes on the mighty City Of Troy in the Coral-Eclipse.
Aidan O’Brien is searching for a record-extending eighth victory in the Sandown feature with his all-conquering Derby hero, but his son, who finished second in the race aboard his father’s Declaration Of War in 2013, now hopes to go one better with his first Eclipse starter as a trainer.
A Group One winner at two, Al Riffa has failed to add to his juvenile success despite pushing the Arc-winning Ace Impact close at three and also shaping with promise this term.
The son of Wootton Bassett was poised for a step up in trip following his most recent run at Saratoga, but has impressed connections since returning from the US, with a rethink seeing the four-year-old rerouted to this high-class 10-furlong event.
“He’s in very good form since America, originally it wasn’t our intention to come here, but he’s been very well since Saratoga,” said O’Brien.
“It looks like a competitive renewal of the race with a few unexposed ones in there, but we hope we can mix it with them. We will just ride our own race and get a nice set-up for our horse.
“He ran really well in the Prix Ganay and even in America the last day he ran much better than the finishing position would suggest, so we are excited about the horse for the season ahead and hopefully he can keep taking forward steps.”
Al Riffa’s participation has led to Kieran Shoemark picking up the spare ride aboard Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini, replacing Dylan Browne McMonagle.
The son of Camelot has already clashed with City Of Troy once this season, with eight and a quarter lengths separating the pair in the Derby.
However, Teal is hopeful a drop back to 10 furlongs can help bridge the gap between the Epsom winner and his French 2000 Guineas runner-up.
“He’s been very good, everything has gone nicely. We’ve just been ticking him over, really, and everything’s gone according to plan,” said Teal.
“He didn’t disgrace us at all (in the Derby). We’d have wanted a better trip round ideally, we were a long way back and then ended up going wide on the turn in and scrimmaging for a position.
“He ended up coming wide on dead ground from the day before so it wasn’t ideal, but taking that into consideration, he ran a blinder.
“The track will probably be more up his street and coming back a few furlongs won’t hurt him at all, everything seems to be a lot better suited to him.
“We deliberately missed Ascot to keep him fresh for this. Ascot comes pretty quick after Epsom and we knew we were going to have a battle at Epsom whatever happened.
“We decided before we ran there that we would keep our powder dry for the Eclipse, so hopefully it pays off.”
Owner Jeff Smith is represented by both Clive Cox’s Ghostwriter and Andrew Balding’s See The Fire, but it is the former who will carry the main hopes after two sterling efforts in Classic company this term.
Last year’s Royal Lodge winner was fourth in what has worked out as a red-hot 2000 Guineas on his return to action, while his brave effort to fill the same position in the Prix du Jockey Club has connections craving a return to a sounder surface at the London track.
“His fourth in the Guineas was a commendable effort, and that form has been franked by the Richard Hannon colts Rosallion and Haatem,” said Cox.
“They finished just in front of him at Newmarket and have flown the flag for the Guineas since in Ireland and at Royal Ascot.
“We hoped he’d deal with what we thought would be just slightly easier ground in France, but the times were reflective of proper soft ground and I think it just took a little bit of his punch away from him.
“We are pleased to remain at a mile and a quarter and we are very much looking forward to Saturday. The way he finished off on the rising ground in the Royal Lodge was very pleasing and I see no reason why Sandown won’t suit him.”
Brian Meehan gives Jayarebe the chance to become his second Eclipse winner after registering his second win of the season at Royal Ascot.
It is 18 years since David Junior struck for the Manton handler, but he has an improving colt on his hands in Jayarebe, who is deserving of this move into deep waters after his Hampton Court Stakes triumph.
Ahead of a key British Champions Series event, Meehan said: “I know they thought King’s Gambit was an unlucky loser at Royal Ascot, but Sean (Levey) committed Jayarebe early and he hit the line strong. We ran a very straightforward race and I don’t think you could say we were lucky winners.
“He’s very progressive and apart from Chester, where he didn’t handle the track, he’s done nothing wrong. He’s very, very good and he’s going to keep improving.”
Reminiscing about his 2006 win, he added: “David Junior was a great horse and won three Group Ones for me. He was very prolific and he’d already won a Champion Stakes and a Dubai Duty Free when he went to Sandown.
“The Champion Stakes and the Eclipse are bucket list races. They are high on everyone’s wish list, so it was great to win them both.”
