William Haggas steers Addeybb toward Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse Stakes regardless of the conditions

ADDEYBB is set to run in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday – whatever the ground conditions.
Tom Marquand after Adeybb won a second successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney in April.Tom Marquand after Adeybb won a second successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney in April.
Tom Marquand after Adeybb won a second successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney in April.

Yorkshire-born trainer William Haggas is keen to get the seven-year-old, winner of last season’s Qipco Champion Stakes under Tom Marquand, on track for the first time since he returned from another successful stint in Australia.

The Newmarket handler took Addeybb out of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot due to the fast ground, but will not be swayed by conditions on this occasion.

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“He’s fine and he’s ready to race,” said the trainer ahead of Eclipse final declarations being made today. He’s quite durable, but the ground on both occasions in Australia was not as soft as he’d like.

Tom Marquand on Addeybb, pictured winning a second successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney in April.Tom Marquand on Addeybb, pictured winning a second successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney in April.
Tom Marquand on Addeybb, pictured winning a second successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney in April.

“He ran on good to firm and a soft five which is on the slow side of good, if that. He never got heavy ground and subsequently he had to fight harder, certainly in the second one (Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick), than he did the previous year.

“I don’t know yet whether he’s just losing it a bit or whether it was simply the ground. We know that soft ground is for him and better ground he’s not quite effective on, but he’s still pretty good.

“I’d be pretty loathe to take him out because he needs to race. You can’t keep practising on the (Newmarket) Heath and in the nets and not get out in the middle. He needs a run. My forecast says there’s a chance of rain on Friday and on Saturday, Maureen’s (wife) forecaster says the opposite so who knows, but what will be will be.”

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Haggas believes this year’s Eclipse is living up to its billing as the first big showdown between the three-year-olds and older horses.

Addeybb and Tom Marquand, pictured winning the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot last October.Addeybb and Tom Marquand, pictured winning the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot last October.
Addeybb and Tom Marquand, pictured winning the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot last October.

“It’s the clash of the generations,” he said. “Here you’ve got a really top-class speedier three-year-old (St Mark’s Basilica) who’s won two Classics and won the Dewhurst last year, so he’s obviously a very good horse.

“You’ve got Mishriff, who won a French Derby and really excelled in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, and then our fella who keeps battling away and bashing away. If the ground came up soft, heavy in places, our chances would increase.”

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