Eclipse decision on White Birch to be made on Wednesday

Adam Morgan
July 2, 2024 9:38 am

High-class four-year-old remains in line to clash with City Of Troy at Sandown on Saturday.

A final decision on White Birch’s Coral-Eclipse participation will be made on Wednesday, with connections hopeful their leading light can take his place in an all-star showdown with City Of Troy at Sandown.

Third in the Derby last year, a cautious approach from his training team has paid dividends this season as the son of Ulysses has recorded three notable victories in the first half of the campaign.

White Birch got the better of Aidan O’Brien’s Auguste Rodin in the most recent of those triumphs, securing a first Group One and the biggest success of John Joseph Murphy’s training career since Newmill won the Champion Chase in 2006.

Derby winner City Of Troy lies in wait for White Birch at Sandown on Saturday (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Auguste Rodin roared back to form in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, a race White Birch had to miss on account of some unsatisfactory blood results.

The colt will now conclude his preparations for the 10-furlong event in midweek when connections hope to give the trip to Esher the go-ahead.

“The plan is to go to Sandown and he will have a breeze tomorrow (Wednesday) and he will have his blood done in the morning again, with a decision made after midday,” said the trainer’s son and assistant, George.

“Hopefully we will be able to go and we’re really looking forward to it.”

At Sandown, White Birch would have to concede 10lb to Epsom hero City Of Troy as well as the other three-year-olds in the mix, which include Clive Cox’s Ghostwriter, Roger Teal’s French 2000 Guineas runner-up Dancing Gemini and Brian Meehan’s Royal Ascot scorer Jayarebe.