Sea the Stars appearance in the Coral-Eclipse this coming Saturday (4th July) will be a considerable bonus for Sandown and its sponsors. The Eclipse is a Group 1 for 3 year olds plus run over 1 mile 2 furlongs. This years race is worth £500,000.00 and it looks as though it could be a "cracker". The 3 year olds get a weight for age allowance of 11 lbs from the older horses and this might well be crucial. Sea the Stars will be trying to follow the Nashwan route of winning the 2000 Guineas, the Derby and the Eclipse. In my humble opinion the best has not been seen of Sea the Stars yet. He has that 5th gear which only the great horses have and he has not been extended. Rip Van Winkle has improved with each run and this might be his best distance. Of the older horses, Conduit ran a smashing race over course and distance on his reappearance this season just being beaten by Cima De Triomphe who was receiving 7 lbs. Archipenko will be an interesting runner for Mike de Kock. His runners have to be respected. If Sea the Stars wins as I expect him to then we will all be wondering if his next port of call will be the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. He will have three weeks in which to recover whereas Nashwan only had two weeks in 1989. The Eclipse promises to be an exciting race. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

I have watched a lot of Royal Ascots, mainly from my armchair, but 2009's meeting has to be the best I have ever seen. Attheraces coverage of the meeting was superb for the armchair viewer. Day 1 saw the finish of the week with (pictured) Mastercraftsman and Delegator fight out a ding dong battle in the St.Jame's Palace Stakes. Paco Boy was a deserved winner of the Queen Anne Stakes, Scenic Blast showed amazing speed in the King's Stand Stakes and the Coventry Stakes produced another exciting two year old in Canford Cliffs who won by a wide margin. Day 2 saw Vision D'etat come over from France and win the Prince of Wales's Stakes. There was a very warm favourite for the Royal Hunt in Forgotten Voice who duly obliged. He looks a bit more than a handicapper ! Day 3 belonged to Yeats who created history by winning a succesive fourth Gold Cup. An amazing feat by all connected with the horse. For once racing was on the front pages for all the right reasons. Yeats is a superb stayer and he was given a great ride by Johnny Murtagh. The roof of the Ascot stands was certainly raised again. Day 4 saw Ghanaati break the course record when winning the Coronation Stakes. This was an emotional victory for the Hills family as trainer Barry Hills recovers from a life threatening illness. Ghanaati is a super filly on the fast ground. The emotions were also high for Henry Cecil who saddled his 71st Royal Ascot winner when Father Time won the King Edward V11 Stakes. Day 5 saw the forgotten horse, Art Connoisseur, win the Golden Jubilee Stakes. He showed the terrific turn of foot he has, much the same as when he won the Coventry Stakes as a two year old. He was given a great ride by Tom Queally who came in for the ride as Jamie Spencer was suspended and Hayley Turner is on the injured list. The day and the meeting finished with another incredible performance from Caracciola as he won the longest race of the meeting, the Queen Alexandra Stakes. At 12 years old Caracciola became the oldest horse to win at Royal Ascot. Royal Ascot certainly endorsed itself as the greatest Flat race meeting in the World. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The five day Royal Ascot Meeting gets underway on Tuesday 16th June with the first race going off at 2.30 pm. There are three Group 1's on Tuesday, and one Group 1 on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The highlight of the meeting is always the Ascot Gold Cup run on Thursday. For me this is my favourite race of the meeting. Yeats (pictured) has already won this race three times and will be attempting to win it for a record fourth time. He is now an 8 year old and a credit to all at Ballydoyle who have kept him in training and not packed him off to stud. If he is able to win I am sure the roof will come off the Grandstand. The atmosphere that these old favourites create is great for horse racing in general. We all love our National Hunt champions who we see around for a few seasons and the Flat Cup horses give us the same excitement and pleasure. For all the Ascot news with race times click on Ascot. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The Epsom Derby worth £1,250,000, a race for 3 year old colts, will be run over 1 mile 4 furlongs on Saturday. Sea the Stars (pictured with Mastercraftsman behind) was an impressive winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and provided he stays the Derby distance he will be hard to beat. Aidan O'Brien has six runners and stable jockey Johnny Murtagh has chosen Rip Van Winkle as his ride. Rip Van Winkle was a strong finishing fourth behind Sea the Stars at Newmarket. After that race Johnny Murtagh was quoted as saying "he did not think Rip Van Winkle would stay the Derby distance" so it is surprising he has chosen Rip Van Winkle as his ride. Fame and Glory looked to be the best of Aidan O'Briens' six runners. I am sure there will be a strong gallop to test the stamina of those not certain to stay. Crowded House was antepost favourite for the Derby at the end of last season but disappointed in the Dante at York. If he is back to his best he could be the each way value and might even give his jockey Jamie Spencer a great Classic double. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The Epsom Classic Meeting gets underway tomorrow (Friday 5th) with the feature race being the 3 year old fillies Oaks worth £350,000 run over 1 mile 4 furlongs. Rainbow View (pictured) disappointed in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas but I am prepared to give her another chance, after all she was unbeaten as a two year old and looked to be something special. The ground has been watered at Epsom so the going cannot be an excuse this time. Sariska is the big danger. Also on the card is the Coronation Cup for 4 year olds plus worth £225,000 run over 1 mile 4 furlongs. Youmzain is the form horse here and should be the one the others have to beat but he has two ways of running. Ask was not far behind Youmzain in the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe when both were beaten by the brillant filly Zarkava. Ask's trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, is second to none when it comes to getting the best out of older horses and Ask might be the each way value here. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

It is under three weeks to this years Derby which will be run on Saturday 6th June at Epsom. For us old timers the Derby was always run on the first Wednesday in June. The switch to Saturday was made a few years back in order to get the crowds, who create the atmosphere, back to Epsom again. The Derby is the biggest Flat race in the calendar for the three year old colts. No horse has completed the Two Thousand Guineas/Derby double since Naswan in 1989. New Approach, last years Derby winner, was only beaten a nose in the Two Thousand Guineas and came that close to doing the double. This years Two Thousand Guineas winner, Sea the Stars (pictured beating Delegator), could be the one to do the double again. He won comfortably at Newmarket. Aidan O'Brien and the Ballydoyle team also have a very strong hand and it will be interesting to see which horse Johnny Murtagh chooses to ride. I suspect it will be Fame and Glory who stayed on well to win his race in Ireland. Rip Van Winkle finished strongly to be fourth behind Sea the Stars after an interrupted preparation for the Two Thousand Guineas. Black Bear Island finished like a stayer to beat his stable companion Freemantle in the Dante at York. Behind them was the one time antepost favourite for the Derby, Crowded House, who has now been pushed out to 16/1 and his participation in the race is in doubt. Sea the Stars has that change of gear which only the great horses have. I hope he gets to Epsom fit and well. With regard to getting attendances up at the racecourses, the first thing they should do is reduce the entrance charges. Secondly, in order to attract the younger racegoer, the entrance charge should be free for those under 21. Thirdly there should be concessions for the over 60's (not 65's) all of the time, not just on selected days when the racing is mediocre and of little interest. I personally like to attend the big meetings and see the best horses running under National Hunt or Flat. Concessions are never allowed for these meetings by the greedy racecourses. I can understand their logic but eventually they will be shooting themselves in the foot. Horse racing is a minority sport. If the powers that be want to attract more people to the racecourses they must reduce the entrance charges. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The French 2000 and 1000 Guineas will be run tomorrow (Sunday) at Longchamp. The 2000 Guineas looks a very open affair but the 1000 Guineas should provide owner George Strawbridge with some consolation after Rainbow View's disappointing run in our 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. His filly Fantasia (pictured) was very impressive when winning at the Newmarket Craven Meeting. Trainer, Luca Cumani, reports the filly to be in top form and with Frankie Dettori in the saddle she should win and therefore cement her position at the head of the antepost market for the Oaks. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".