Coral Eclipse...

interesting little race . but the eclipse should be more than that , king george will probably go likewise . time for a revamp .

Corals are very wise to continue sponsorship because the Eclipse is all but married to the sponsor's name. And I can't think of another: Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup? Randox Grand National? Ever Ready Derby? Whitbread Gold Cup? Schweppes?

What a poor response for this once great race.

1968    Royal Palace    4    Sandy Barclay    Noel Murless    Jim Joel    2:07.50
1969    Wolver Hollow    5    Lester Piggott    Henry Cecil    Hope Goddard Iselin    2:11.80
1970    Connaught    5    Sandy Barclay    Noel Murless    Jim Joel    2:06.00
1971    Mill Reef    3    Geoff Lewis    Ian Balding    Paul Mellon    2:05.40
1972    Brigadier Gerard    4    Joe Mercer    Dick Hern    Jean Hislop    2:20.20
1973    Scottish Rifle [a]    4    Ron Hutchinson    John Dunlop    Sandy Struthers    2:12.39
1974    Coup de Feu    5    Pat Eddery    Duncan Sasse    Tim Sasse    2:08.86
1975    Star Appeal    5    Greville Starkey    Theo Grieper    Waldemar Zeitelhack    2:06.10
1976    Wollow [b]    3    Gianfranco Dettori    Henry Cecil    Carlo d'Alessio    2:05.42
1977    Artaius    3    Lester Piggott    Vincent O'Brien    Mrs George Getty II    2:05.30
1978    Gunner B    5    Joe Mercer    Henry Cecil    Pauline Barratt    2:05.05
1979    Dickens Hill    3    Tony Murray    Mick O'Toole    Mrs Jean-Pierre Binet    2:06.17
1980    Ela-Mana-Mou    4    Willie Carson    Dick Hern    Simon Weinstock    2:10.20
1981    Master Willie    4    Philip Waldron    Henry Candy    Robert Barnett    2:07.44
1982    Kalaglow    4    Greville Starkey    Guy Harwood    Tony Ward    2:08.83
1983    Solford    3    Pat Eddery    Vincent O'Brien    Robert Sangster    2:06.36
1984    Sadler's Wells    3    Pat Eddery    Vincent O'Brien    Robert Sangster    2:04.53
1985    Pebbles    4    Steve Cauthen    Clive Brittain    Sheikh Mohammed    2:07.33
1986    Dancing Brave    3    Greville Starkey    Guy Harwood    Khalid Abdullah    2:06.18
1987    Mtoto    4    Michael Roberts    Alec Stewart    Ahmed Al Maktoum    2:04.33
1988    Mtoto    5    Michael Roberts    Alec Stewart    Ahmed Al Maktoum    2:06.14
1989    Nashwan    3    Willie Carson    Dick Hern    Hamdan Al Maktoum    2:07.38
1990    Elmaamul    3    Willie Carson    Dick Hern    Hamdan Al Maktoum    2:04.63
1991    Environment Friend    3    George Duffield    James Fanshawe    Bill Gredley    2:07.61
1992    Kooyonga    4    Warren O'Connor    Michael Kauntze    Mitsuo Haga    2:10.83
1993    Opera House    5    Michael Kinane    Michael Stoute    Sheikh Mohammed    2:06.25
1994    Ezzoud    5    Walter Swinburn    Michael Stoute    Maktoum Al Maktoum    2:04.70
1995    Halling    4    Walter Swinburn    Saeed bin Suroor    Godolphin    2:05.32
1996    Halling    5    John Reid    Saeed bin Suroor    Godolphin    2:08.05
1997    Pilsudski    5    Michael Kinane    Michael Stoute    Lord Weinstock    2:12.51
1998    Daylami    4    Frankie Dettori    Saeed bin Suroor    Godolphin    2:06.82

sparrow , what a history there . so many memories of horses and indeed trainers ..

Certainly is, windsor.

If those from 77 to 98 all lined up what would be the first 3 home ?

1.Dancing Brave
2.Nashwan
3.Pebbles

I would just put mtoto in front of Peebles sparrow he was very good at sandown I was between the two for 3 rd place

For a G1 3yo and older horses race, the prize money is not great. It wouldn't surprise me if over the years it has lost ground to G1's it is competing with. Often used to go to this meeting but Sandown just lost its appeal, prefer the jump meetings there nowadays.

Thought Paddington's St James's Palace Stakes win  makes him the bet and trusting O'Brien wouldn't bother if any doubts.

Coin flip - Mtoto and Dancing Brave.


Interesting fact [well...]

Mtoto was Grandsire of both Denman and Ballabriggs

Great horse Mtoto, a real turn of foot. Also won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth, after trainer     Alec Stewart had originally said he wasn't going to run! Should have won 88 Arc, scuppered by a big field/poor draw and and Michael Roberts; finished so fast but Tony Bin, who he easily beat in previous races had got first run.

Yes I should have included Mtoto in my top 3 picks but at least I did have a go.

Who would have thought in a 3 yo maiden on a haydock night meeting we would have seen a horse go on to win 2 eclipses and a king George beating very very good horses as well.

I think all in all pebbles was the better horse sparrow .

Trepan was it 1976?I was glad he was not thrown out on the day.Was Pebbles the 1st ever filly/mare to win it?

Yes she was second again

Can anyone remember the name of the horse who beat pebbles and Commanche run it what looked a match at royal ascot?

https://youtu.be/f0hXunBuVPk

pebbles wot a hoss

Pat Eddery looking round for non-existent Derby winners etc

Bob Back?

That’s him penzance

Agreed Sparrow....Dancingbravethebest imo

You could get 33/1 on the day Bob Back in a 4 hourse race.

jimnast
Only reason I knew that was because I couldn't remember the
name of the horse who won the Prince Of Wales Stks & got DSQ,
then went on to win the Eclipse (Kooyonga).See his name on the
list of wnrs.

Kooyonga was the 2 nd FILLY to win the eclipse penzance

She was yeh.
She was actually demoted to 3RD @ Ascot.

Funny I don’t remember that race penzance and I would have been there.

RTV prods reading the thread :)

The smart cookies in here are the Crisfords. £40,000 for having to do no more than finish. £80k if

manage to beat one home!

How can such a race be a 4 horse race - something fundamentally wrong somewhere

Since the beginning of this century and much more recently more and more good horses are going to fewer trainers. These trainers then select which of their horses will run in these races. In the last ten years the winners has overwhelmingly been from one of the very few top yards. It works well for them but not for racing in general.

Are we getting to the point that top racehorses will command appearance money for these top classic races?
Travel vouchers?  Staff payment offers?  Free stallion nominations?
Something needs done because as it stands these races are dying!