IF EVER the star mare Enable is going to get beaten then she is likely to be most vulnerable on her opening run of the campaign in the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park tomorrow, especially on the prevailing quick ground which by 3.35 will have dried up massively.

We all know that she is by far the best racehorse in the field of eight and we also know that the line-up this year is hardly a stellar one, but there is one horse that has been laid out for this most valuable of Group One events for months and well worth an each-way play and that is the Sir Michael Stoute trained REGAL REALITY.

A typical slow burning type trained by the Newmarket maestro, the son of Intello put up a career best effort, and by some way, on his comeback run when easing home ahead of Matterhorn and company to the tune of three and three quarter lengths in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at the back end of May.

Since then he has been freshened up nicely at home and his work has been of the highest order and at a top-price of 13/2 he looks an each-way snip to nothing. The filly Magical has been kept busy by Aidan O’Brien this season and arguably put up her best run in defeat when beaten a length and three quarters by Crystal Ocean in a soft ground Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

That could well have signalled the end of her improvement whereas the selection has loads more yet to give, is tried and tested over the course and distance and will relish the fast ground. 

With Hunting Horn sure to be the hare in this race for the Irish filly, to get a tow into the race we should at least get a clean run race and the selection may be turn one over the dual Arc winner with everything seemingly in his favour this afternoon.

The supporting card at the Esher track is top notch and I am particularly interested in the claims of SERGIE PROKOFIEV in the opening Coral Charge at 1.50.

O’Brien’s sprinter wasn’t given the best of rides by Ryan Moore when a closing fourth in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket and he was out of his depth in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This represents a huge drop in class and with the return of a fast surface in his favour there will be no excuses this time and he should certainly be good enough to beat the likes of the improving Garrus and Signora Cabello. The last named is probably the best of the double-figure priced entries trained by the very shrewd John Quinn.

There is no shortage of pace on in the Coral Challenge Handicap at 2.25 and that should play into the hands late on of top-weight KEY VICTORY in the care of the boys in blue.

The son of Teofilo could never get into the Royal Hunt Cup when finishing 15th of the 28 runners at Ascot, but that race should have put an edge on him and the return to a quicker surface off a 2lbs lower mark looks very interesting.

If you have a look back through his record, fast ground has always been more of his domain and I will be desperately disappointed if he can’t hit the frame at the very least. 

I am expecting James Doyle to play his hand late and then fire up the Esher hill to good effect and see off Qaroun and the disappointing Escobar.

Over at Haydock the mile-and-a-half of the Old Newton Cup Handicap at 3.15 looks a fabulous renewal with big York handicap winner and Ebor favourite First Eleven heading the weights. He is not ruled out of contention here even off his new mark of 109.

However, he makes the market place for most of the 19 runner field and I will be having an each-way investment on INFRASTRUCTURE at around 12/1. Martyn Meade’s charge has only had the eight runs to date and after a long time off the track made a really nice comeback at Newmarket when just over two lengths off Caradoc over a mile-and-a-quarter.

The return to a mile-and-a-half here should prove right up his street and the drying ground won’t be a problem here. Along with the very progressive Al Muffrih he looks a massive player in this big field if he can get a run through the pack in the closing stages.