Racing: Partial eclipse for Tenby in bookmakers' odds

SCEPTICISM that Tenby, the failed Derby favourite, can redeem his reputation when he contests the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday seeps from the list of prices on the race produced by the leading bookmakers yesterday, writes John Cobb.

Coral, the race's sponsor, William Hill and Ladbrokes all prefer Barathea to the horse that started at 4-5 for the premier Classic but trailed in 10th. 'Barathea (fifth at Epsom) has been the subject of good gallops reports since the Derby,' David Hood, William Hill's odds- maker, said. 'I'm not a Tenby fan. He was over-hyped going in to the Derby and I believe the work he did just after he suffered that attack of colic may have 'bottomed' him so that he couldn't fire at Epsom.'.

He makes Tenby a 7-2 chance behind Barathea, who is a best- priced 3-1 with Coral and is described as being 'much better suited by the shorter trip of the Eclipse' by his trainer, Luca Cumani. Ladbrokes take an even less cautious view about Tenby, quoting him at 4-1.

The bookmakers' interpretation of the Irish 2,000 Guineas, in which Barathea was only a head in front of Vincent O'Brien's Fatherland, is even more revealing. While Barathea is as low as 2-1, with Ladbrokes, for Saturday's race, Fatherland is on offer at 16-1 with the same firm which has cultivated a strong rapport with the O'Brien stable.

There were 12 acceptors at yesterday's five-day stage for the Eclipse, including Opera House, who runs in the same Sheikh Mohammed silks as the favourite. His participation would force the Sheikh's stable-jockey, Michael Roberts, into a difficult choice but that problem will be solved if Opera House instead contests the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday. That race is also a more likely target for another Eclipse entrant, User Friendly.

'The idea of declaring User Friendly was that if the ground changed to soft she would run,' her trainer, Clive Brittain, said.

Environment Friend, winner of the race two seasons ago, is more likely to represent User Friendly's owner, Bill Gredley, while Arcangues challenges for France, and Misil for Italy.

The latter, who chased home Arcangues in the Prix d'Ispahan last time, is no forlorn hope and, with Vittorio Caruso as his trainer, might prove rewarding in a forecast with Opera House.

ECLIPSE STAKES (Sandown, Saturday): Coral: 3-1 Barathea, 100-30 Tenby, 7-2 Opera House, 10-1 Arcangues, Environment Friend & User Friendly, 14-1 Fatherland & Great Palm, 20-1 Ezzoud & Misil, 25-1 Alhijaz, 50-1 Karinga Bay. William Hill: 11-4 Barathea, 7-2 Tenby, 9-2 Opera House, 8-1 Environment Friend & User Friendly, 10-1 Arcangues, 12-1 Great Palm, 14-1 Fatherland, 16-1 Ezzoud, 20-1 Misil, 25-1 Alhijaz, 50-1 Karinga Bay. Ladbrokes: 2-1 Barathea, 4-1 Tenby, 6-1 Arcangues & Opera House, 8-1 Environment Friend, 10-1 User Friendly, 12-1 Great Palm, 14-1 Misil, 16-1 Fatherland, 20-1 Alhijaz, 25-1 Ezzoud, 50-1 Karinga Bay.