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I understand where you're coming from, SL. I have admitted it doesn't sit entirely comfortably with me that I've rated the pair so highly but this Eclipse is one of those very rare races where everything points to it's having been exceptional.

The form book comment for RVW after the 2000 Guineas is:
"...whose only previous defeat came in unsatisfactory circumstances when a hot favourite for the Dewhurst, had his preparation held up by a bruised foot. He came from off the pace and stayed on so well that he only just failed to snatch third. It's impossible to say how much the hold up cost him, butit can not have helped and he still probably has improvement in him. It's debatable how far he will stay but while he will surely get further than this, he is by no means sure to get the Derby trip."

He would have had to have been 100% to have beaten STS (unlikely anyway, I reckon) that day but he could have been good second to a superstar. Delegator made Mastercraftsman work very hard in the SJP so the Guineas form is very solid.

As I said, I keep going back to the Eclipse looking for reasons to bring the figure down but I'm struggling to do so. To single out RVW as the 'weak link' in the form puts some very good horses way down on their previous best.

<blockquote data-quote="Desert Orchid" data-source="post: 2206335" data-attributes="member: 65242">I understand where you&#039;re coming from, SL. I have admitted it doesn&#039;t sit entirely comfortably with me that I&#039;ve rated the pair so highly but this Eclipse is one of those very rare races where everything points to it&#039;s having been exceptional. &nbsp;The form book comment for RVW after the 2000 Guineas is:&quot;...whose only previous defeat came in unsatisfactory circumstances when a hot favourite for the Dewhurst, had his preparation held up by a bruised foot. He came from off the pace and stayed on so well that he only just failed to snatch third. It&#039;s impossible to say how much the hold up cost him, butit can not have helped and he still probably has improvement in him. It&#039;s debatable how far he will stay but while he will surely get further than this, he is by no means sure to get the Derby trip.&quot;&nbsp;He would have had to have been 100% to have beaten STS (unlikely anyway, I reckon) that day but he could have been good second to a superstar. Delegator made Mastercraftsman work very hard in the SJP so the Guineas form is very solid.&nbsp;As I said, I keep going back to the Eclipse looking for reasons to bring the figure down but I&#039;m struggling to do so. To single out RVW as the &#039;weak link&#039; in the form puts some very good horses way down on their previous best.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Desert Orchid, post: 2206335, member: 65242"] I understand where you're coming from, SL. I have admitted it doesn't sit entirely comfortably with me that I've rated the pair so highly but this Eclipse is one of those very rare races where everything points to it's having been exceptional. The form book comment for RVW after the 2000 Guineas is: [I]"...whose only previous defeat came in unsatisfactory circumstances when a hot favourite for the Dewhurst, had his preparation held up by a bruised foot. He came from off the pace and stayed on so well that he only just failed to snatch third. It's impossible to say how much the hold up cost him, butit can not have helped and he still probably has improvement in him. It's debatable how far he will stay but while he will surely get further than this, he is by no means sure to get the Derby trip."[/I] He would have had to have been 100% to have beaten STS (unlikely anyway, I reckon) that day but he could have been good second to a superstar. Delegator made Mastercraftsman work very hard in the SJP so the Guineas form is very solid. As I said, I keep going back to the Eclipse looking for reasons to bring the figure down but I'm struggling to do so. To single out RVW as the 'weak link' in the form puts some very good horses way down on their previous best. [/QUOTE]

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