Laird runner to eclipse opposition

After a decent debut in which the Charles Laird-trained runner finished a 2.50-length fourth behind The Royal Rumba, Stormy Eclipse went down 12.90 lengths to Mljet. He was subsequently gelded and since his return, this son of Dynasty has improved significantly, winning both of his starts.

They took place on the Greyville Polytrack over 1600m so the course could also be a reason for his improvement. He was fairly treated by the handicapper in his last start and only received a 2kg penalty for his 1.25-length victory over Petite Master, which looked a lot easier than the margin suggests.

He runs in Race 7 over 1600m on the Polytrack this evening and looks the runner to beat. With Anton Marcus out of action Sean Cormack takes over the ride and they jump from barrier No 8.

The only real threat looks to come from Buck Shot. This Mark Dixon-trained runner looks quite useful and made a decent debut on the Polytrack when a 2.50-length second behind Priceless Gem. That was over 1800m and Buck Shot is better over 1600m so he will do well over the slightly shorter distance. Brandon Lerena takes the ride and they jump from No 3 draw.