Kieren Fallon is keeping the faith with True Story as he gets another chance to live up to his tall reputation in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Saeed bin Suroor's colt looked a potential world-beater when annihilating his opponents in Newmarket's Feilden Stakes in April, after which it was revealed Fallon was to become an integral part of the Godolphin team.
The six-times champion jockey partnered True Story for the first time as an odds-on favourite for the Dante Stakes at York, where he came up short in third, and he then finished a moderate seventh in the Derby. C onnections reach for the visor this weekend.
Speaking at Sandown on Friday, where he scored over the Eclipse course and distance, Fallon said: " He just didn't pick the bridle up in the Derby and the ground was against him at York. The visor should help him relax and hopefully he'll show his true colours.
"It's a very good race. It'll be tough to beat The Fugue, she's one of the best fillies of recent years, if not the best, and Night Of Thunder is the Guineas winner. Then you've got the O'Brien camp, and he doesn't take horses over for fun. It'll be a very good race, it won't be boring. Good horses excite you. I do think this is a good horse."
John Gosden's multiple Group One winner The Fugue rightly takes top billing following a brilliant display in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot a little under three weeks ago.
Her big-race jockey is William Buick and he wrote in his At The Races blog: "Last Saturday I was looking for some rain at Newmarket and this weekend it's the complete opposite because I'll be one happy man if it stays dry at Sandown.
"That would mean that the best filly I've ever ridden would have the ideal conditions to win the Eclipse and continue her march through the best middle-distance races of the season.
"A year ago she disappointed in this race but 12 months on she's a completely different animal. Back then she was coming in off a defeat in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, this time she not only won it but broke the track record in the process.
"Everyone who follows racing knows that we've had some highs and lows together including some narrow defeats and some storming wins, but I honestly feel this is now her time.
" She showed at Ascot that she has improved physically and off a strong pace is extremely effective over what is her perfect trip, 10 furlongs. She stays 12 (furlongs) OK but everything seems to lock on for her when the conditions are right over a mile and a quarter - and those conditions are good fast ground in a well-run race."
