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Sandown officials are aiming for ground no quicker than good to firm for the Coral-Eclipse Stakes on Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The going on Monday afternoon was described as good, good to firm in places after the track was given a soaking of between three and four millimetres. With a predominately dry week forecast, clerk of the course Andrew Cooper has not ruled out turning the taps on again on the Esher circuit.
"We are on a mixture of good and the fast side of good ground, officially good, good to firm in places," he said.
"If we hadn't watered last week we'd be like the M40 at the moment. We watered in the build-up to the weekend and left it alone over the weekend. We've put three to four millimetres on the circuit today and we will review it on a day-to-day basis. It's put back what we lost yesterday.
"The week as a whole looks predominately dry with light patchy rain in the area on Tuesday night, up to two millimetres. That looks it as far as rain is concerned. There might be something coming over from the west on Thursday, but that may have completely petered out by the time it gets to us. Friday and Saturday onwards looks settled, high pressure and increasingly warm days - a nice end to the week.
"From a ground perspective we try to look ahead to Saturday and make sure we are no quicker than good to firm for that day's racing. We are happy with conditions at the moment. We will review the ground conditions and our watering strategy every day.
"At the moment we are predominately good, a bit quicker in places, and the track is in good shape. You'd happily start the meeting on it, but obviously Friday and Saturday are some way off. The Coral-Eclipse looks to me a fascinating contest. We've worked on the card over the years and we're happy with the balance."
Cooper's comments on the race came after eight horses were confirmed at the five-day stage, headed by the Roger Charlton-trained Al Kazeem. The five-year-old entire will be seeking a hat-trick of Group One victories after the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. He looks like being taken on by the second and third that day, Mukhadram and The Fugue.
Aidan O'Brien is three-handed with Queen Anne victor Declaration Of War, St James's Palace third Mars and last year's triple Classic hero Camelot, for whom retirement has been mooted as a possibility.
German contender Pastorius and the Clive Brittain-trained Miblish complete the possibles.