Hugo Palmer Saturday runners blog: 'He did win very nicely here last time'

Hugo Palmer has four runners this weekend, so join the leading trainer as he previews all his horse racing action in his latest Coral blog.

Box To Box hasn’t been done any favours by the draw, in 15 of 16, but he is a horse with good gate speed, so hopefully he can get a good position early.  There is a slight question mark over this trip too, he’s won over a distance very close to this, but that was around Chester, and the extra yards here could make a difference.

He has also won very nicely here, on his last start.  We’re very happy with him and he seems in good form, this is worth plenty of money so we’ll give it a go.

We’ve been waiting for this horse to get a split turf and all-weather rating, which he now has, and he has a turf mark of 72, which he has been able to win off in the past.  He’s another who seems in very good form at home, the track should suit, as should a smallish field, so I hope he can run well.

Ran Amok just struggled a little bit last time, so has had a wind-op since then which will hopefully help him.  He might just need this race, but I’m very pleased with his work and he looks well, and I hope we can get him back in the right direction.

It’s fair to say Kokinelli has been something of a challenge!  We’re dropping him back in trip after a disappointing run over 1 ½ miles last time, he did run well enough here last summer on quick ground, but it’s hard to be confident about him until we see better from him.

The first Coral-Eclipse I remember watching clearly was 1997, when Pilsudksi beat the Derby winner, Benny The Dip, and the great filly, Bosra Sham, and this year’s renewal reminds me of that running, it really is a hell of line-up, and we have a fascinating contest in prospect.  With two Classic winners taking on two Group One winning older horses, plus Ryan Moore sticking with Delacroix despite his Derby defeat, it has everything.  Even the outsider is a Group One-winning 2-y-o, so would it really be a surprise if any of the six won? 

Ombudsman and Camille Pissarro both came off strongly run races last time [in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Prix du Jockey Club respectively], and it seems unlikely they will get that sort of fast pace here, it should be a much more evenly run race, so that could hinder their chances.  Ruling Court looked to be crying out for further last time, in the St James’s Palace Stakes, so this trip should suit, and while I’m not really sold on Sosie, he is a three time Group One winner trained by a master, and could well win this.

It’s such a fascinating race as I’ve said, but also an impossible one for me to nail my colours to one runner in particular.  In what could well be a very tactical contest, jockeyship – as in 1997 – could well be key, and while I may not be having a bet, it is a race I can’t wait to see.  

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