Sandown: not expected to receive much rain before Saturday's Eclipse

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker/ racingpostpix.com  

Sandown expects Eclipse to go off ongood ground

SANDOWN'S ground remained officially described as good after racing on Friday and clerk of the course Andrew Cooper  is expecting underfoot conditions for Saturday's Coral-Eclipse to be very much the  same.

Heavy rain hit the course on Thursday night easing the ground to Friday's going description but forecasts indicate no more than a slight possibility of showers in the immediate build-up to the Group 1.

"I won't be changing my description of the ground for  Saturday's card unless we get some rain, and that doesn't look particularly likely," said Cooper.

"We've been told that there will be the  odd shower around in the south of England tomorrow, with the likeliest time for them to appear being during the afternoon, but they're not certain tofall here and they shouldn't be heavy even if they do.

"It's been a dry day today, brightening up after a dull and humid start, and I suppose the most likely possibility, if  we don't get any rain at all, is that the ground will quicken slightly before the Eclipse."

Managing director David Mackinnon urged racegeors to attend so as not to miss what he described as "a piece of racing history", with Stanjames.com 2,000 Guineas and Investec Derby hero Sea The Stars bidding to become the first horse since Nashwan in 1989 to add an Eclipse success to his two Classic wins.

Mackinnon said: "Everything is set fair for a  great race and the weather forecast is ideal for coming to Sandown to enjoy the  day, as it is not expected to be nearly as oppressively hot as it was  earlier in the week."

Tickets to both the Grandstand and Premier enclosures will be available on the gates on Saturday.