Motivator has the speed for Eclipse trip, claims Herbert
That is the view of Harry Herbert, racing manager for the 230-strong Royal Ascot Racing Club, who own the unbeaten son of Montjeu.
The brilliant five-length Epsom hero will be tackling older horses for the first time - as well as Shamardal, winner of the French 2000 Guineas, French Derby and St James’s Palace Stakes - as he bids to take his 100 per cent record to five for trainer Michael Bell.
“I’ve spoken to a few trainers who have been astonished that we’ve gone down this route,” said Herbert.
“I think he is a very, very special horse and I think that even the most hardened of pundits would be hard pressed to say that we didn’t see something special.
“He has always looked like a horse who has plenty of speed, which is why we’re going for the Eclipse.
“Perhaps if Motivator had won the Derby in the style of a real staying horse then the Coral-Eclipse probably wouldn’t have crossed our minds. But Michael always said that he had gears and here we are, with a chance to join the likes of Mill Reef and Nashwan, who completed the double.”
Herbert said he was intrigued to see Grand Emporium, a stablemate of Shamardal, among 10 horses left in the race at yesterday’s five-day confirmation stage.
“I think tactics are going to be critical, in fact I have spoken to Michael about them already today,” he added.
“If it came to a sprint between Motivator and Shamardal then he said he would back Motivator every time.
“I imagine that we will try and sit fairly handy and as close to the pace as possible.
“The stiff finish at Sandown should be in our favour.
“He is a horse who is maturing physically and mentally all the time and everybody was delighted with his last piece of work.”
Motivator has shortened to 5-6 from 5-4 with the sponsors for the £400,000 Group One showpiece over a mile and a quarter.
Shamardal, bidding to give Godolphin back-to-back victories following Refuse To Bend last year, is 2-1 second-best.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is currently double-handed with Powerscourt and Oratorio.
Oratorio has been beaten by both market leaders in his last two starts, finishing 10th to Motivator at Epsom and third to Shamardal in the St James’s Palace Stakes at York two weeks ago.
As well as those two Irish entries, there is international interest in the shape of Diamond Green, trained in France by Andre Fabre, and Italian challenger Altieri.
Altieri won Italy’s top spring race for older horses, the Group One Premio Presidente della Repubblica At The Races, for the second successive year at the Capannelle in Rome last month.
The seven-year-old is trained by Vittorio Caruso, who saddled Misil to finish second to Opera House in the Eclipse 12 years ago.
Australian import Starcraft could represent Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani. The five-year-old New Zealand-bred entire ran a pleasing first race in Britain when third to Valixir in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot at York.
