Racing: Hefty bets force a rapid cut in Hawk Wing's odds

Aidan O'Brien gets his Group One hoover out again this weekend and the bristles are heading towards the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.

The sponsors, Coral, were unwary enough to go 4-6 about the Irish trainer's principal aspirant, Hawk Wing, in their early exchanges after yesterday's declaration hour. After several four-figure bets the price about the 2,000 Guineas and Derby runner-up was vacuumed and he is now 4-7 for the 10-furlong contest.

As we have come to expect from Ballydoyle, Hawk Wing will not fail because of loneliness. The big colt is part of a customary block entry, which, on this occasion, is composed of six runners. His travelling companions will come from a perm of Sholokhov and Della Francesca, second and sixth respectively in Sunday's Irish Derby, Century City, Creekview and Bach, who was third in the Eclipse almost 12 months ago.

In the last 10 years only two three-year-olds have won the Eclipse, namely Giant's Causeway in 2000 and Compton Admiral the season before. This statistic, though, is more a symptom of the modern trend of keeping older horses in training than any great generation gap.

Hawk Wing's most potent rival, it seems, might be himself. Defeat can be imagined only if the effects of his draining effort around Epsom remain in his marrow.

Ballydoyle's great Godolphin rivals appear, by comparison, to have been operating with a dustpan and brush so far this campaign and Saturday does not seem to be the day of the fightback. The Newmarket-based team have decided to keep the big guns in the silo in preparation for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, taking out both last year's Eclipse runner-up, Grandera, and their leading older horse, Sakhee.

Kutub is still an element of the equation, but decision time later in the week is likely to be a straight choice between Noverre and Equerry.

The former is an open book, having trundled past us for many of his 15 career starts, most notably at Goodwood last summer when he won the Sussex Stakes. There is a clasp however on the front of Equerry's tome.

All his five races to date have been in France, even though he has been based at the Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket since the juvenile days he spent with André Fabre. His form, however, jumps up to be noticed.

The four-year-old won three from three in his first season, culminating in the Prix des Chenes on Arc trials day at Longchamp two seasons ago. Mizzen Mast, who was among the vanquished that afternoon, is now one of the leading older horses on dirt in the United States.

On his only start last year, in the Prix du Prince d'Orange, back at Longchamp, Equerry beat Sagacity, who went on to finish third behind Sakhee and Aquarelliste in the Arc. His first outing this season was once again at Longchamp, in victory in La Coupe, 12 days ago. Equerry has got the Group three tee-shirt now and it's time to go up a level.

"We'll want to see the ground towards the end of the week, and it's more than likely we'll just have the one in," Simon Crisford, the Godolphin racing manager, said yesterday. "It just depends on whether this race comes too quickly for Noverre because he had a fair bit of time off after he ran in the Lockinge. Royal Ascot came a bit quick and now we're going to have to work out if this is the same.

"If the ground is good, or softer than good, it may be that Equerry is the one. It would be nice to see him slip up the ladder a little more gently, rather than going in against this sort of competition, but he is a horse with potential and he's very well at the moment."

Equerry would be of little use as a pony club conveyance. He is not much of a social animal. He runs all his races from the front and always works solo. He likes it that way. "He can be a bit of a character when he's with other horses," Crisford said.

"He gets a bit keen sometimes and he's a little bit buzzy so we keep him on his own." Some have already speculated that he will also be in splendid isolation at the head of Saturday's field. Coral cut him to 7-1 (from 10-1) yesterday.

THE ECLIPSE (Sandown, Saturday): Coral odds: 4-7 Hawk Wing, 9-2 Noverre, 7-1 Equerry & No Excuse Needed, 10-1 Olden Times, 12-1 Indian Creek, 14-1 Kutub, 16-1 Bach, 25-1 Sholokhov, 33-1 Century City & Imperial Dancer, 50-1 Cape Town, 100-1 Creekview & Della Francesca.

Haigh has sights on diamonds

Bint Royal continued in fine form when gaining a fourth success from her last five outings in the Park Suite Fillies' Stakes at Pontefract yesterday, and she now has a date at Ascot later this month.

Richard Mullen brought the Brian Ellison-trained filly with a perfectly-timed run to lead inside the final furlong and go one and a quarter lengths clear of Twilight Mistress at the post.

Her three previous victories had been gained on an all-weather surface, but she had finished a good second at Doncaster on Saturday and Ellison explained: "I think she is better at six furlongs than seven and she might run at Epsom on Thursday. She had a back problem but we sent her to Bob Ordige at Malton and he has done a great job with her, in fact I have sent three to him and he has worked wonders with them all."

Bint Royal was owned and trained by Vicky Haigh, whose colours she carried on the first of the four wins, and Miss Haigh, who still holds a trainer's licence, said: "I've had terrible problems with the gallops I was using and I thought it best to send horses to Brian while we try and get things sorted out. The plan now is to go for the Ladies' Diamond race at Ascot on King George day with Bint Royal and I will ride her."

Mark Johnston is represented in a Listed race at Hamburg today by Double Honour, who was a close third in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot.