AUTHORIZED, the brilliant 5 length winner of the Epsom Derby last month, has hardened into 8-11 on Betfair for the Coral Eclipse Stakes on Saturday.
In total, 13 horses have stood their ground for the prestigious 10f race at the latest declaration stage, with Aidan O'Brien responsible for no less than six of the remaining entries.
O'Brien's talented, if somewhat enigmatic, 4yo George Washington, heads the Ballydoyle brigade and is currently trading as the 3-1 second favourite on Betfair.
Running plans remain fluid for many of the other entries - as evidenced by some of the fancy prices on offer about them, such as 35-1 Duke Of Marmalade and 84-1 Dylan Thomas - although Sir Michael Stoute's Notnowcato is an intended runner and trades as the clear third favourite at 8-1.
Betfair's Tony Calvin commented: ''Authorized versus George Washington
is set to be one of the highlights of the flat racing season and, as my Dublin-based colleague Eoin Ryan said to me this morning, 'it is going to be a real Anglo-Irish dust up!'
It brings together the two colts who have dominated the flat racing
headlines in recent months, and punters certainly won't be shy in
putting their money down. At present, Authorized is far more the solid
of the two big guns and any further rain will see his price contract
further, with George Washington going the other way.''
Sandown's Coral Eclipse Stakes - Betfair bet: 8-11 Authorized, 3-1
George Washington, 8-1 Notnowcato, 27-1 Archipenko, 35-1 Duke of
Marmalade, 50-1 + Others including 84-1 Dylan Thomas.
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