Eclipse Stakes predictions: Two to take on City Of Troy with

- This year's Eclipse takes place at Sandown on July 6
- The race is scheduled for 15:35 and has eight declared runners
- Recommended bets:
- Dancing Gemini to win and each-way
- Al Riffa to win and each-way

The Eclipse Stakes is the first chance for the best three-year-olds to take on older horses, but this year Derby winner City Of Troy has scared off much of the competition. He is a warm order to follow-up here, but in this field of eight nothing is certain.

City Of Troy casts a long shadow on this Eclipse because of his emphatic Derby win. Before Epsom, he was seen as pretty vulnerable because he had flopped in the Guineas.

He will have no room to mis-fire in this field, and the best way for customers to play the race with the favourite so short is to bet each-way against him.

Teal to steal some minor honours

First choice is the Roger Teal-trained Dancing Gemini. He was sixth in the Derby, beaten over eight lengths, but he shaped as though better than that.

Dancing Gemini was out the back early in the Derby and forced wide to challenge. He started building up a head of steam in the straight and, a furlong or so out, looked set to finish fourth behind City Of Troy, Ambiente Friendly and Los Angeles. The last two mentioned franked the form in last week's Irish Derby.

Dancing Gemini ran out of puff late on and faded into sixth. It may have been the course he charted, but it might just as easily been his stamina giving way.

On his previous run he had been second in the French 2,000 Guineas over a mile. This intermediate distance strikes as being ideal and he is the favourite's main danger with Kieran Shoemark taking the ride.

Back Dancing Gemini to win and each-way in the Eclipse at 13/2 with LiveScore Bet

Riffa to sneak a place

A field of eight is higher than usual for a modern Eclipse, but it lacks depth. What that opens up is each-way possibilities, and among those at longer odds, Al Riffa makes most appeal.

This horse won a Group 1 as a two-year-old, but has had an interrupted career since. He ran just twice last season, but on the second occasion ran Ace Impact, subsequently such an impressive winner of the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, to within a length at Deauville.

Al Riffa again went close in a big race in France in April, when a close-up fourth in the Prix Ganay. But for a subsequent flop in the States, he would potentially be single-figure odds for this race. 

As it is, his big odds are a gift for customers searching for a bit of each-way value. This four-year-old might even have the potential to improve and emerge as a serious threat to City Of Troy if the favourite has anything like an off-day.

Back Al Riffa to win and each-way in the Eclipse Stakes at 14/1 with LiveScore Bet.