Dave Metcalf has over 35 years of experience in the media industry having worked for regional and national newspapers. He is a life-long horse racing and football fan, and has done interviews on various radio and TV stations, including talkSPORT and Sky Sports, whilst working as a PR frontman for major betting firm Betfred.
Dave has written for At The Races, provided betting previews for the 2010 World Cup via a website he owned. It was the first time they had covered any football event. He also appeared weekly on Sing When You’re Winning – football and general sports betting show on MUTV to provide odds and tips alongside former Manchester United striker Lou Macari.
O’Brien colt fancied for Group 1 glory
The feature race on a cracking Sunday card at Sandown is the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse (15:35). At the odds on offer, Japan looks decent value to provide Aidan O’Brien with a fifth winner of the prestigious 1m 2f contest.
This four-year-old progressed throughout last season when winning three of his six starts.
After finishing a fine half-length third to stable companion Anthony Van Dyck in the Epsom Derby, he was ultra-impressive at Royal Ascot when powering clear to slam Bangkok by 4 1/2 lengths in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes.
Japan then took the step back up into Group 1 company in his stride when readily landing the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp by half-a-length from Slalom.
The son of Galileo then went in again at the highest level when landing the Juddmonte International over 1m 2f at York.
He got up close home to gamely beat Crystal Ocean by a head following a ding-dong tussle between the pair throughout the final furlong.
Entitled to come on for Royal Ascot return
Japan then rounded off the campaign with a solid fourth of 12 to Waldgeist in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe over 1m 4f at Longchamp.
After being held-up and given plenty to do, he made good headway to hold every chance a furlong-and-a-half from home before keeping on at one pace to be beaten four lengths.
Japan finished just two lengths behind the runner-up Enable, who had a far better passage and raced up with the pace, so there are reasons to believe he can turn the tables with the rival.
He also looks sure to come on a bundle for his recent return to action when fourth to Lord North in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Japan looked ring rusty there and was not given an unduly hard time by regular partner Ryan Moore.
Other pluses are that he has proven form on the forecast ground, and is likely to get the strong pace he needs to be seen to best effect with the trailblazing Ghaiyyath in the line-up.
So, at 9/2 with Betfred, Japan looks to have more going for him than his odds would suggest and the one to be on here.
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Last year’s winner Enable is a red-hot 11/10 favourite with Ladbrokes to provide John Gosden with a hat-trick of Coral-Eclipse successes.
This six-year-old has won 13 of her 15 starts and landed her 10th Group/Grade 1 success when easily beating old rival Magical in last year’s Yorkshire Oaks.
Prior to that, the daughter of Nathaniel had stayed on gamely to beat Magical in this by three-quarters of a length, before going on to follow-up in the Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot when digging deep to get the better of Crystal Ocean by a neck.
Enable went on to end the season with a cracking 1 3/4 lengths second to Waldgeist when attempting to win the Arc for a third time.
Those efforts have earned this wonder mare an official rating of 128 – the highest in the line-up. It makes her the one to beat and she is a high cruising sort with a potent turn of foot.
However, whether Enable is entitled to be as short as she is in the betting is another matter given her advancing years.
Her big race rider Frankie Dettori, who is 12 from 13 on her, has also voiced fears in the build-up to this that she may well need the run.
So, at such cramped odds, Enable looks worth taking on in what is a classy renewal of the Coral-Eclipse despite only seven going.
Ghaiyyath another with leading Coral-Eclipse claims
The Charlie Appleby trained Ghaiyyath comes into the race in the form of his life and is rated just 2lb below Enable, so looks a massive player for leading owners Godolphin.
This son of Dubawi looked something special when making all to land the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden in Germany last September by an astonishing 14 lengths.
Ghaiyyath was sent off a 17/2 shot for the Arc on the back of that success, but bombed out completely – trailing in a 33-length 10th of 12 to Waldgeist.
That run was simply too bad to be true. Something must have been amiss with him, as he is far better than that. Ghaiyyath has quickly left that run behind, however, in winning both his starts this year in impressive fashion.
After bolting up by 8 1/2 lengths in a Group 3 at Meydan back in February, the five-year-old took the step back up into elite company in his stride when landing the Coronation Cup at Newmarket last month,
Ghaiyyath quickly adopted his usual front-running role and established a clear lead. He then stayed on strongly from the furlong marker to win unchallenged by 2 1/2 lengths from Anthony Van Dyck.
He set crazy sectionals throughout the 1m 4f contest to win in a lightning fast time, so the drop back to 1m 2f will hold no fears given that he is three from four over the trip.
A bold bid to land the hat-trick looks assured, and Ghaiyyath can be backed at 9/4 with Coral to do just that.
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