Rakti heads Eclipse field
Rakti will face 12 rivals in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes on Saturday as he bids to move one step closer to landing the British Horseracing Board’s Summer Triple Crown.
Connections of the Michael Jarvis-trained five-year-old will pocket a £1m (€1.5m) bonus if he adds both the Sandown race and the Juddmonte International to his success in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
Dutch Gold, who runs tomorrow, was the only defector at the final 48-hour stage.
Rakti, who will be joined in the race by stablemate Maktub, is even-money favourite with Paddy Power - and a 9-2 chance with the same firm to complete the Triple Crown at York.
Aidan O’Brien’s Powerscourt and the John Gosden-trained Ikhtyar, second and third to Rakti at the Royal meeting, both reoppose.
Godolphin hopes rest with the revitalised Queen Anne Stakes winner Refuse To Bend, while David Elsworth is represented by both Salford City and Norse Dancer.
Rakti is not the only horse chasing the BHB jackpot, though, as Warrsan is in with a shout after his win in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
