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The Gurkha stands Eclipse ground

The GurkhaThe Gurkha
© Photo Healy Racing

Aidan O'Brien is strongly represented at the five-day stage in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

French 2000 Guineas winner The Gurkha, viewed by some as an unlucky loser in the St James's Palace Stakes, could step up in trip to 10 furlongs for the first time and has emerged as O'Brien's number one contender, taking over at the head of the markets.

Dante Stakes runner-up Deauville skipped the Irish Derby in favour of this, but the Ballydoyle trainer has stated he would not be at home on soft ground.

Cougar Mountain, Bravery and Long Island Sound are the other Ballydoyle possibles.

Two supplementary entries have been received to leave a potential field of 11.

Godolphin announced on Monday morning that Royal Ascot winner Hawkbill was to be added to the field, while Roger Charlton also put in Countermeasure.

His presence is to ensure a strong pace for his stablemate Time Test, one-time ante-post favourite for the race and set to run as long as conditions are suitable.

My Dream Boat, gutsy winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes for Clive Cox, will bid to add another Group One to his haul and will certainly be at home with cut in the ground.

Cox said: "I couldn't be more pleased with ours since Ascot. Everything has gone smoothly, it will only be two weeks since the Prince of Wales's but we gave him a quiet week last week and he seems in really good form still.

"He'll have his conditions, there is rain forecast, he's a course and distance winner and we're confident about him staying the trip on the ground. The only thing that is not in his favour is that Ascot was not that long ago."

Charlie Appleby's Hawkbill will head to the Esher venue on the crest of a wave having won each of his last five starts.

The most recent of those wins came in the Tercentenary Stakes - won last year by Time Test - and connections feel he is ready to step up to the highest level.

John Ferguson, Godolphin's chief executive and racing manager, said: "Charlie is very happy with how Hawkbill has been training since Ascot. He is taking a step up, but we feel he deserves to take his chance."

Completing the list is John Gosden's Sandown regular Western Hymn and Sir Michael Stoute's Exosphere.