Paddington squares off with Emily Upjohn in Eclipse Stakes

From betting and tactical perspectives, Saturday’s Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Racecourse near London is a match race.

Four start in the $952,200 Eclipse Stakes, Britain’s leading summer race at 1 1/4 miles, but the focus is clearly on the 3-year-old Paddington and the 4-year-old filly Emily Upjohn, both winners of Group 1 races in June.

Paddington, trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore syndicate, recorded an outstanding win in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on June 20 at Royal Ascot. This will be his first start at 1 1/4 miles.

Emily Upjohn won her 2023 debut against males in the Group 1 Coronation Cup Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on June 2 at Epsom Racecourse for trainers John and Thady Gosden.

As of Thursday morning, Paddington was the 11-10 favorite, a slight choice over Emily Upjohn. Dubai Honour and West Wind Blows are longshots.

There was little between Paddington and Emily Upjohn in the betting, and they may not be far apart in the race. Paddington, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, tends to run as a stalker, while Emily Upjohn, the mount of William Buick, is effective from off the pace.

Dubai Honour, the winner of two Group 1 races at 1 1/4 miles in Australia in March and early April, has not raced since a third-place finish in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on April 28.

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West Wind Blows is expected to set the pace. He led shortly after the start of the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Ascot on June 24 and finished second to the two-time Group 1 winner Pyledriver.

The Eclipse Stakes is Paddington’s first start outside of his age group. The Eclipse Stakes has been won by a 3-year-old five times in the last 10 years, including the last two runnings.

O’Brien has won the race a record-equaling six times, leaving him tied on the all-time list with Michael Stoute and Alec Taylor Jr. Gosden is seeking his fifth win in the Eclipse Stakes.

Post time is 10:40 a.m. Eastern, or 7:40 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud

Westover, winner of the Group 1 Irish Derby in 2022 and second to Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup last month, leads a field of five 4-year-olds in Saturday’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in Paris.

Westover, trained in Britain by Ralph Beckett, is winless in four starts since the Irish Derby. In his 2023 debut, Westover finished second to Japanese star Equinox in the Group 1 Sheema Classic in Dubai in March.

In the $434,000 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at 1 1/2 miles, Westover does not face a strong field. Zagrey has not raced since a third in the Sheema Classic, while Tunnes is unraced since a fourth in the Coronation Cup.

Post time is 10:55 a.m. Eastern, or 7:55 a.m. Pacific.

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