One of the top colts in the world meets one of the very best fillies at Sandown Park on Saturday in the Eclipse Stakes.
Paddington and Emily Upjohn are fighting it out for favouritism ahead of the 1 mile 2 furlong Group 1 worth just over £425,000 to the winning connections.
3-year-old Paddington currently leads the market with William Hill at 1.83. Unbeaten in his last five races, trainer Aidan O’Brien will be confident of him adding to his impressive CV.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 7th, 5:00 P.M. (BST)
At the end of May, Paddington won the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, his first group race of any kind. Then, he backed that success up by winning the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot by almost four lengths.
Ryan Moore was in the saddle for those two big wins, and he takes the reins again tomorrow, aiming for his second win in the Eclipse and O’Brien’s sixth.
Previously the 2.25 favourite, Emily Upjohn is now the 2.37 second favourite but that could change plenty of times before they go to post.
After finishing last in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, she bounced back to take the Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at the same course in October.
This year, victory in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom proved she was now capable of beating the best colts. However, usual jockey Frankie Dettori is serving a ban for careless riding, so John & Thady Gosden have drafted in William Buick for his first ride on the filly.
Despite the battle of the top two, there are two other horses in the race and they both are more than capable of taking the win.
Dubai Honour is back in England after three races in Australia and Hong Kong earlier in the year. Last time, the 5-year-old was third in the QEII Cup at Sha Tin after taking two Grade 1 triumphs Down Under; the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick and the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.
Tom Marquand went globetrotting too as he was on board at Sha Tin and Randwick and will be again tomorrow for William Haggas’ 11.00 chance.
West Wind Blows (23.00) is the final runner in the field for Simon & Ed Crisford. The 4-year-old was second to Pyledriver in a Group 2 at Royal Ascot last month after winning a Group 3 at Longchamp earlier in June.
His only Group 1 to date thus far was ninth in the 2022 Epsom Derby, but recent form suggests he can be more competitive this time around.
