So You Think will miss Eclipse

Ballydoyle’s giant six-year-old was aiming to land back-to-back renewals of the Group One over a mile and a quarter, but has now been sidelined. This was also due to be So You Think’s final run before being retired to stud in his native Australia.

Anne-Marie O’Brien tweeted yesterday: “So You Think was found to be lame in his stable a short time ago and will not run in the Eclipse on Saturday.”

So You Think had been in outstanding form this season, with consecutive Group One victories in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Sandown’s feature, which has attracted 10 runners, sees the return of Dante Stakes scorer Bonfire, who was disappointing in the Epsom Derby, and Godolphin’s Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso. Monterosso’s trainer, Mahmood Al Zarooni, is also responsible for City Style.

Sheikh Mohammed’s powerful outfit has also supplemented the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Farhh, who was a slightly unlucky third behind So You Think at Royal Ascot.

Nathaniel, last season’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, is in line to take a belated seasonal bow.

Trainer John Gosden has, however, warned the four-year-old colt will only run if the ground is suitable. The Newmarket handler is also wary of giving Nathaniel too hard a race before he heads back to Ascot for the King George on 21 July.

He said: “Normally there is three weeks between the Eclipse and the King George, but this year there is only two.

“That is the big factor playing on my mind because if you get a hard race in the Eclipse on your first run of the year it’s a little tough to say, ‘I’ll be back for the King George’. At this stage I’d be mindful of that fact.”

Twice Over, winner of the Eclipse two years ago, takes the plunge for the Sir Henry Cecil-Khalid Abdullah axis. Abdullah’s silks will also be sported by the Roger Charlton-trained Cityscape.

Eclipse regular Sri Putra has again been given the go-ahead by Roger Varian,

As has the Brian Meehan-trained Cogito, even though connections were concerned earlier in the week by the possibility of testing ground.