No way back for Bosra Sham and Fallon as daring move misfires
Julian Muscat on a day when a master jockey's tactics let him down
It is not easy to convey the events surrounding an event 20 years distant, but perhaps the best handle on the 1997 Coral-Eclipse Stakes was that Benny The Dip, who had won the Derby five weeks earlier, was almost overlooked in the five-runner field.
The John Gosden-trained colt did not come into the race with anything like the attention paid this week to Cliffs Of Moher – and Benny The Dip had actually won at Epsom. That is because he faced two formidable older horses in Bosra Sham and Pilsudski. In consequence, Benny The Dip was virtually ignored by punters at 6-1.
That was hardly surprising. Pilsudski, embarking on his fourth seasonal campaign, had closed his third by winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf, having finished runner-up in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Sir Michael Stoute's horse was a rugged competitor, in common with so many horses bred by Lord Weinstock at his Ballymacoll Stud in Ireland.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on 7 July 2017inBritain
Last updated 12:53, 7 July 2017
- 'He'll prove it to the world in the next few weeks - he could be the best I’ve trained' - David Menuisier relishing Sunway Saint-Cloud date
- Champion Stakes hero King Of Steel shows his mettle in preparation for Sandown return
- Leading jumps owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede appoint Bryony Frost as new retained rider in France
- Aidan O'Brien talks City Of Troy, Ylang Ylang and more in an interview with Paul Kealy
- The King and Queen appointed joint-patrons of the Jockey Club
- 'He'll prove it to the world in the next few weeks - he could be the best I’ve trained' - David Menuisier relishing Sunway Saint-Cloud date
- Champion Stakes hero King Of Steel shows his mettle in preparation for Sandown return
- Leading jumps owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede appoint Bryony Frost as new retained rider in France
- Aidan O'Brien talks City Of Troy, Ylang Ylang and more in an interview with Paul Kealy
- The King and Queen appointed joint-patrons of the Jockey Club