As the month of July is taking hold, the British flat horse racing calendar offers yet another grand event to all horse racing enthusiasts. The Sandown Park Racecourse is getting ready to welcome race goers in Esher, Surrey for the Coral Eclipse Day. This year it will take place on Saturday, 4 July.
Staying active all year round, Sandown Park Racecourse hosts five Grade 1 National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes, which is conducted during the Coral Eclipse Day. It was established in 1875 and since then has become one of Britain’s most influential racecourses. It was at the Sandown Park that the very first horse racing event to be broadcast live on TV anywhere in the world took place in 1948.
This year, the Coral Eclipse Day will open with The Coral Charge (also known as The Sprint Stakes) as its first race, while The Coral Celebrating 100 Years Handicap Stakes will close the entire event.
The headline race of the event is The Coral Eclipse Stakes and it will take place in the second part of the day.
Coral Eclipse Day 2026 Racecard
The Coral Eclipse Day 2026 will be conducted in the first week of July and last for one day. This horse racing fixture will include 7 races.
Day One: Coral Eclipse Day (4 July)
- When: Saturday, 4 July 2026
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race: 1:50 pm
- Headline race: 3:35 pm
- Last race: 5:22 pm
The daily race card for the Coral Eclipse Day 2026 is as follows:
Going: Round Course: good (good to firm in places); Sprint: good (good to firm in places)
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:50 pm | THE CORAL CHARGE (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (Registered as The Sprint Stakes) (CL 1) | 5f 10y | 3YO+ £95,000.00 |
| 2:25 pm | THE CORAL CHALLENGE (HANDICAP) (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m | 3YO+ £120,000.00 |
| 3:00 pm | THE CORAL DISTAFF (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) (CL 1) | 1m | 3YO £60,000.00 |
| 3:35 pm | THE CORAL-ECLIPSE (CLASS 1) (Group 1) (CL 1) | 1m 1f 209y | 3YO+ £1,000,000.00 |
| 4:10 pm | THE JOIN CORAL BET £5 GET £30 HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) (CL 3) | 7f | 3YO £20,000.00 Rating 71-90 |
| 4:47 pm | THE CORAL FREE REWARDS SHAKER HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 1m 1f 209y | 3YO £15,000.00 Rating 61-80 |
| 5:22 pm | THE CORAL CELEBRATING 100 YEARS HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m 1f 209y | 3YO+ £45,000.00 Rating 86-105 |
Betting at Coral Eclipse Day 2026
With a race card packed with some of the most prestigious races to take place at the Sandown Park Racecourse, the Coral Eclipse Day attracts horse racing fans, bettors, and bookmakers alike. Those looking to place a wager on any of the races will have two ways to do so.
If you are planning to attend the meeting in person, a number of specialised betting facilities will be at your service at the venue, offering varying odds on all popular markets. And of course, anyone can place a bet with an online bookmaking platform if you prefer to follow the event from home.
Whichever option you choose, always remember to practice responsible gambling and make informed decisions when placing bets. For this, you need to follow market news and trends, analyse the runners’ physical form and recent performances, the jockey’s and the trainer’s historical dynamics at the race, and don’t forget to choose the bookmaker that offers the odds that give you the best value.
At 7bet, we offer a wide range of horse race betting markets both for domestic and international events.
Please note that odds for the Coral Eclipse Day 2026 will be available closer to the event date.
Betting at the Coral Eclipse Day 2026 includes various horse betting markets, with some of the most popular ones being:
- Win: If you are familiar with sports betting in general, you know exactly how this market works. But even if you are a complete newcomer, following the straight win market is quite simple. It is focused on the outcome of the event. Your task as a punter is to predict how the race will end. Correspondingly, you place a bet on a horse that in your opinion is the most likely to win the race. If your prediction happens to be correct and your horse does come to the finish line first, you will be eligible for a payout proportional to the offered odds and your stake size.
- Place: This betting market is somewhat similar but offers lower risks. While it still focuses on the outcome of the race, you place a wager on a horse not to win but to be placed, which means it will finish the race within the winning top. The number of paid placements is determined on a case by case basis and depends on the number of runners at the start and the type of race. This information will be provided by the bookmaker in advance. What makes this bet lower risk is the fact that the horse has more chances to be placed than to win. On top of that, you don’t need to predict what place it will take. As long as it is placed within the winning top, your wager will win.
- Each Way: One of the most popular markets in online betting, it allows you to place two bets on the same horse. One of them is for the horse to come to the finish line first and win the race. The other is for the same horse to be placed, i.e. take one of the paid placements. Placing two wagers naturally means your stakes will be doubled, but it does bring interesting value. Should your horse win, you will get payouts on both stakes. If your horse is placed, you will lose the win wager but will still be eligible for the placement payout.
- Forecast/Tricast: The mechanism of this bet is significantly different from the ones we described above. Here you are betting on two (forecast) or three (tricast) horses in the same bet. At that, you state that horse A will be the winner and horse B will be the first runner-up, i.e. take the second place. Keep in mind that you don’t have to double your stake for this bet. If you are betting on the straight forecast, the two horses have to finish the race in the exact order you predicted. If it is a reverse forecast, you will still get paid if horse B finishes first and horse A takes second place. The tricast market works in the exact same way, but now you are predicting the winner, the second, and the third places. For a straight tricast, all three horses must come to the finish line as predicted. Combination tricast allows a bit more flexibility, the horses can finish in any order as long as all three you selected for the bet are in top three. If at least one horse doesn’t make it into the top two (forecast) or top three (tricast), you will lose your wager. This bet is considered higher risk because your results depend on the performance of more than one horse.
Always remember to gamble responsibly and treat betting as a form of entertainment and not means for financial gain.
Headline Races at the Coral Eclipse Day 2026
The Coral Eclipse Day 2026 meeting includes 7 races conducted during one day of the event. They feature some of the most outstanding runners of the season and offer a variety of distances and conditions, ensuring that any race goer visiting Sandown Racecourse on 4 July will find something to cater to their interests.
Coral Eclipse Stakes (Saturday, 4 July)
The Coral Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 209 yards (2,002 metres).
The race was inaugurated in 1886 and named after the famous chestnut stallion Eclipse who had a stellar career in the 18th century. At the time, the prize fund of £10,000 made it the richest race to ever exist. It is also known for featuring some of the most accomplished runners with multiple wins in other prestigious races, including the Classics. Today it is considered as the most prestigious race among those conducted at the Sandown Park Racecourse. This year its prize purse amounts to £1,000,000.
As there is no upper age limit for participating in the Eclipse Stakes, every horse after three is more than welcome to enter the race multiple times to try and win the champion title or repeat its success from a previous edition.
Currently, there are five horses sharing the title of the runner with the highest number of wins: Orme (1892, 1893), Buchan (1919, 1920), Polyphontes (1924, 1925), Mtoto (1987, 1988), Halling (1995, 1996), each with 2 wins.
Lester Piggott holds the title of the most successful jockey, having brought 7 winners to the finish line (Mystery IX 1951, Darius 1955, Arctic Explorer 1957, St Paddy 1961, Pieces of Eight 1966, Wolver Hollow 1969, Artaius 1977).
Aidan O’Brien continues to be the most prolific trainer of the race with 9 of his charges winning the race in different years (Giant’s Causeway 2000, Hawk Wing 2002, Oratorio 2005, Mount Nelson 2008, So You Think 2011, St Mark’s Basilica 2021, Paddington 2023, City of Troy 2024, Delacroix 2025).
The latest winner in 2025 was a bay colt Delacroix who was three at the time. This was his third win of the season and one of, if not the largest victory of his career so far. Currently, he holds 6 wins out of 12 races he has participated in. Delacroix hasn’t been announced to participate in this season’s race. Delacroix was trained by Aidan O’Brien and led on the track by jockey Ryan Moore.
Currently, there are 9 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Galen (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Joseph O’Brien)
- Gethin (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Owen Burrows)
- Saddadd (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Roger Varian)
- A Boy Named Susie (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Donnacha O’Brien)
- Causeway (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Constitution River (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Flushing Meadows (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Hawk Mountain (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- King’s Gambit (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Harry Charlton)
Other Notable Races at the Coral Eclipse Day
While all seven races of the Coral Eclipse Day bear significance and offer exciting opportunities both for runners and spectators, two of them stand out next to the headline race.
Sprint Stakes (Saturday, 4 July)
The Sprint Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 5 furlongs and 10 yards (1,015 metres).
The race was first held in 1986, starting at the Listed level. It was then promoted to Group 3 in 2004. For sponsorship reasons, it is currently entered in the race card as the Coral Charge.
While the Sprint Stakes allows any horse to enter the race multiple times during the course of its career, no horse has won the champion title more than once since its inaugural run.
Frankie Dettori stands out among jockeys with 3 wins (Lochsong 1993, Ancien Regime 2008, A’Ali 2020).
On the other hand, as many as six trainers produced multiple winning charges for the race: Ian Balding (Silver Fling 1988, Lochsong 1993), Luca Cumani (Night at Sea 1990, Ialysos 2009), Richard Hannon Sr. (Bunty Boo 1995, Watching 2000), David Nicholls (Ya Malak 1997, Fire Dome 1998), Charles Hills (Battaash 2017, Equality 2023), and Ed Walker (Came From The Dark 2021, Makarova 2024), each with 2 wins.
The latest winner in 2025 was a bay gelding Rumstar who was 5 at the time. This was his second win of the season, the first one taking place earlier in May at the Newmarket Racecourse where he won the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Palace House Stakes. Rumstar has been announced to participate in this year’s race. Rumstar was trained by Jonathan Portman and led on the track by jockey Rob Hornby.
Currently, there are 14 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Asfoora (age 7, jockey Oisin Murphy, trainer Henry Dwyer)
- Beautiful Diamond (age 5, jockey Clifford Lee, trainer Karl Burke)
- Getreadytorumble (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jack Channon)
- Gold Digger (age 3, jockey Saffie Osborne, trainer Richard Spencer)
- Havana Hurricane (age 3, jockey Charles Bishop, trainer Eve Johnson Houghton)
- Leovanni (age 4, jockey James Doyle, trainer Karl Burke)
- Luna A Inbhir Nis (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Katie Scott)
- Mitbaahy (age 7, jockey Jamie Spencer, trainer Charles Hills)
- Palmeira (age 3, jockey Charles Bishop, trainer Eve Johnson Houghton)
- Partisan Hero (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer David Loughnane)
- Redorange (age 4, jockey Rossa Ryan, trainer Clive Cox)
- Rumstar (age 6, jockey Rob Hornby, trainer Jonathan Portman)
- Shagraan (age 5, jockey Kieran Shoemark, trainer Clive Cox)
- Words Of Truth (age 3, jockey Billy Loughnane, trainer Charlie Appleby)
Coral Distaff (Saturday, 4 July)
The Coral Distaff is a Listed flat horse race that accepts three year old fillies. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres).
Its inaugural race ran in 2003. It was initially known as the Distaff Stakes but later changed its name to the Coral Distaff due to sponsorship reasons.
With the strict age restriction in place, every filly has only one chance in her career to win, or even to participate in the race. For this reason, there are no repeated winners registered for this race.
On the other hand, jockeys and trainers are more than welcome to enter the race as many times as they deem necessary. Currently, Richard Moore holds the title of the most successful jockey, having led 4 winners to the finish line (Selinka 2007, Strawberrydaiquiri 2009, Integral 2013, Grande Dame 2022).
Sir Michael Stoute outshines all other trainers, as he has trained 4 Coral Distaff winners (Favourable Terms 2003, Antediluvian 2004, Strawberrydaiquiri 2009, Integral 2013).
The latest winner in 2025 was a bay filly Blue Bolt. This was the third win of her debut season. The previous two were the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes in May 2025 at the Royal Windsor Racecourse and the Darley EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes in June 2025 at the Newbury Racecourse. Though Blue Bolt can’t enter the race this season due to age restrictions, she has had a successful start of 2026, having won the Fitzdares Conqueror Fillies’ Stakes in May at the Goodwood Racecourse. Blue Bolt was trained by Andrew Balding and led on the track by jockey Colin Keane.
Currently, there are 11 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Act Of Kindness (age 3, jockey Billy Loughnane, trainer Charlie Appleby)
- Estissa (age 3, jockey Oisin Murphy, trainer James Fanshawe)
- Ourbren (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer J S Moore)
- Pacific Mission (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
- Previous (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy)
- Sacred Ground (age 3, jockey Ryan Moore, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
- Secret Of Life (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ralph Beckett)
- Silenciosa (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Tom Clover)
- Spinning Lizzie (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole)
- Starlight Lass (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
- Tavana (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Edward Smyth-Osbourne)
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