Kerrin McEvoy to ride well-fancied Regal Reality for Stoute in Coral-Eclipse

Kerrin McEvoy has been called upon by Sir Michael Stoute to deputise for Ryan Moore aboard Regal Reality in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

Stoute is bidding to land the 1m2f feature for a record-breaking seventh time but it will be only a second ride in the race for the multiple Group 1-winning Australian – 13 years after his first.

He trailed home in eighth on 66-1 outsider Hattan in 2006 but will have much stronger claims this time with Regal Reality, who is a top price of 7-1 and third favourite in a market headed by dual Arc heroine Enable.

Regal Reality: won the Brigadier Gerard Stakes in MayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Since arriving for his summer stint last month, McEvoy, who won the Melbourne Cup in November on Cross Counter, has ridden seven winners, including one for Stoute at Doncaster last Friday when he carried the Queen's colours to success on Calculation in a 1m6½f handicap.

Regal Reality, who will be tackling Group 1 company for the first time on Saturday, carries the same Cheveley Park Stud colours as Medicean who landed the prize for Stoute in 2001.

A son of Intello –who stands at Cheveley Park – the four-year-old Regal Reality enjoyed the perfect rehearsal when accounting for Matterhorn over course and distance in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes in May.

Moore has ridden Regal Reality on six of his seven career starts but is likely to riding for Aidan O’Brien in the Eclipse.

Stoute, who has won the race with Opera House (1993), Ezzoud (1994), Pilsudski (1997), Medicean (2001), Notnowcato (2007) and Ulysses (2017), said: "We've booked Kerrin McEvoy for Regal Reality. It's a big step up from a Group 3 to a Group 1 but he did it nicely when winning there last time. He's a horse we like and he goes there in good shape."

Among Regal Reality's rivals at Sandown will be Dante winner Telecaster, who is bidding to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Investec Derby in which he finished last.

Trainer Hughie Morrison believes the colt has the talent to compete but admits he is unsure why the son of New Approach flopped at Epsom.

Morrison said: "He's been looking great all the time but didn't turn up at Epsom for whatever reason.

"It's a difficult one to judge whether we're right to run him now or not, but he's never taken a wrong step or shown ill health.

"I'm a bit nervous because I can't say the horse who turned up at the Dante will turn up on Saturday, but he's in the same form he was in before the Dante.

"Oisin [Murphy] came and sat on him last week and on Tuesday, and he's very happy with him."

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