Online Gambling - Racing

Staff Writer
June 30, 2009

The 2009 Coral-Eclipse Stakes will be held on Saturday, 4 July with Sea The Stars as the favorite. BetUS has futures odds.

Held early in July each year at Sandown Park, the Eclipse Stakes were named for one of the most important racehorses in the 18th century. With an undefeated record after 18 races, no one was betting on any other horse, so Eclipse was retired to stud. The result is that 80% or more of modern Thoroughbred racehorses have Eclipse in their pedigree and Saturday’s race is named for him and the Coral racebook that has sponsored the race since 1976.

Sea The Stars is the favorite for the 2009 race, and this comes as a surprise to none. The horse has won the first two legs of the UK Triple Crown this year, though he apparently will not attempt to take the last race, the St. Leger Stakes. Nevertheless, managing to win any Triple Crown race should see a horse strongly favored, so with two Triple Crown wins punters are left wondering who else they should choose to place in an exacta.

It could certainly be worse, though, as the odds have so far remained quite long. Sea The Stars is seeing odds of only 4/5 at BetUS, slightly shorter than the even money he has been given at some sportsbooks, but definitely backable for those who bet on favorites. At BetUS, two other horses trail in second at 7/2 odds, Conduit and Rip Van Winkle. Cima de Triomphe is one of the few other horses considered to seriously be in contention, with 8/1 odds at BetUS.

Conduit was a late-maturing colt that ended up really coming into his own. With wins in the St. Leger Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, it is impossible to discount this Thoroughbred’s chances at taking the Coral-Eclipse Stakes. A recent second placing in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, behind Cima de Triomphe, may be all that is keeping this horse at longer odds. That race was the same length as the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, and the horse performed well, but will he have improved at that length in order to not only surpass Cima de Triomphe, but Sea The Stars as well?

Rip Van Winkle has put in decent performances in many difficult races this year, coming fourth in the 2,000 Guineas Stakes and the Derby Stakes. This is a horse with a great reputation with his trainer and jockeys, but he just hasn’t been performing to that expected standard on the track. His competition has been outstanding, absolutely, but no one remembers or backs a horse that puts in a good effort but never wins.

Cima de Triomphe won the Italian Derby last year, as well as beating the more heavily favored Conduit in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes this year. That was a very close win, however, so Cima de Triomphe is hardly being considered superior to Conduit who has St. Leger Stakes and Breeders’ Cup wins.

The full odds being given by BetUS for the Coral-Eclipse Stakes are:

• Sea The Stars  4/5
• Conduit   7/2
• Rip Van Winkle  7/2
• Cima de Triomphe   8/1
• Archipenko  14/1
• Twice Over  16/1
• Westphalia  22/1
• Monitor Closely  50/1
• Jukebox Jury  60/1
• Tazeez  50/1
• Steele Tango  70/1
• Lang Shining  100/1
• Set Sail  100/1
• Malibu Bay  100/1

If you would like to place a futures bet on the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, join BetUS to take advantage of their generous deposit bonuses for new members. A 50% bonus on the first and second deposits you make could help you to place an even bigger bet on the 2009 Coral-Eclipse Stakes, or else let you spread your picks for optimal chances of returns.