Roaring Lion among 8 in Coral-Eclipse

Qatar Racing's leading 3-year-old Roaring Lion has been declared for the Gr. 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

Epsom Derby third Roaring Lion will line up against seven rivals in the Eclipse (2.10pm) on Saturday as he drops back to a mile and a quarter, the same trip over which he was a runaway winner of the Gr. 2 Dante Stakes at York in May. He will again be ridden by Oisin Murphy.

Twice placed at Gr. 1 level previously - including when just touched off by Saxon Warrior in last autumn's Racing Post Trophy - Roaring Lion is currently second favourite for the Eclipse behind his old rival Masar, who finished ahead of Roaring Lion for the third time when winning the Derby by a length and a half.

David Redvers, Qatar Racing racing manager, told the Racing Post:

"I think we're as excited about Roaring Lion as the rest of the country is about the football team.

"He showed in the Dante a mile-two is the trip that suits him ideally. We've just got to hope at that trip he's a better horse than the Derby winner.

"The trainer [John Gosden] is very comfortable with where the horse is and this is the race he's had in mind for him since the Craven.

"We've got a leading chance in of of Europe's leading Gr. 1s and how he runs will have a massive effect on how our season looks at the end of the year, but we know we've got a very exciting stallion prospect and we can't wait to see his true colours.

"We think he's one of the best horses, if not the best, we've had."

Another fascinating runner is the aforementioned Saxon Warrior, who beat both Masar and Roaring Lion when winning the 2,000 Guineas but finished behind them in the Derby. Saxon Warrior only ran a week go, when only third in the Irish Derby.

Both Roaring Lion and Masar put the finishing touches to their preperation when having racecourse gallops on the July Course at Newmarket last weekend. John Gosden - who has won two of the last six Eclipses with Nathaniel and Golden Horn - reported Roaring Lion "worked nicely".

If Roaring Lion wins he'll be the second 3-year-old son of Kitten's Joy to take the Eclipse in the last two years, as Hawkbill achieved the feat in 2016. Hawkbill is back for more this year, and the field is completed by Saxon Warrior's stablemates Cliffs of Moher and Happily, Gr. 2 Huxley Stakes winner Forest Ranger and twice-raced Raymond Tusk.