Derby winners have an unhappy knack of failing to deliver in the Eclipse - often at very short odds.

Since Nashwan completed the double in 1989, four heroes of the Epsom Classic have failed at Sandown and three of them - Erhaab, Motivator and Authorized - started at odds-on.

But expect Sea The Stars to buck the trend to become just the fifth three-year-old in the last 18 years to win the prestigious 10-furlong Group 1 event at tomorrow.

You are on a hiding to nothing as a punter. The odds will be predictably short, with Simon Clare of race sponsors Coral admitting: "The weight of public support could well see him start 1-2, or even shorter."

Yet there appears to be little point in opposing the John Oxx-trained colt as he goes up against older horses for the first time.

Sea The Stars may be dropping back in trip but he is versatile, winning the Guineas over a mile and the Derby over half a mile further. The Eclipse falls in between those distances.

He also receives 11lb from his main rival Conduit and, though Aidan O'Brien's Rip Van Winkle has always looked more like this trip would suit, he has twice been beaten by Sea The Stars in Classics.

Sea The Stars tends to idle when he hits the front so he may not win by far. Skybet offer 9-2 that Sea The Stars will win by over one length and up to and including two lengths and that may tempt some, but it may be wiser to bet 'without the favourite'.

Sir Michael Stoute has trained the winner of the Eclipse five times and relies on Conduit.

Though unproven over this trip, he is a St Leger and Breeders' Cup Turf winner who is bound to be a lot fitter than when a narrow second to Luca Cumani's Cima De Triomphe in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes on his seasonal debut here last month.

Skybet go 7-4 that Conduit will finish either first or second to Sea The Stars and that looks tempting.

The William Haggas-trained colt TRIPLE ASPECT (2.05) has an official rating of 114, a mark seven points higher than his nearest rival Ialysos in the opening five-furlong sprint.

And the fact that he also shoulders 5lb less than the ex-Greek sprinter makes him the one to beat here - though the booking of top jockey Christophe Lemaire for Ialysos is eye catching.

Providing his Royal Hunt Cup exertions have not taken too much out of him, Barry Hills's HUZZAH (2.40) is fancied in the mile handicap that precedes the feature race.

Second to Forgotten Voice at Royal Ascot, he is 5lb worse off with Alfathaa, who missed the break on that seasonal debut and finished well in fifth.

Though he has yet to win off a mark this high, Huzzah is a consistent horse at this level and, with those drawn high holding a slight advantage over this distance, he would appear to have decent each-way claims.

Stoute has successfully targeted this mile Listed fillies' race in the past with lightly-raced types such as Antediluvian and Favourable Terms, and Strawberrydaiquiri (3.45) fits a similar profile.

She slammed a fair field on her second start at Windsor - the form since boosted by runner-up Candy Ride - and looked much better than the bare six-length winning margin suggested.

Sandown going is fine for Oxx

Sandown's clerk of the course Andrew Cooper spoke to trainer John Oxx this morning to “put him in the picture” after heavy overnight rain prompted an ease in the going at the track to good.
Sea The Stars missed the Irish Derby at the Curragh last Sunday after Oxx deemed conditions too soft for his colt, but Cooper is optimistic the forecast dry weather will ensure there will be no worries for the dual Classic winner's Coral-Eclipse bid tomorrow.

He told the Racing Post: “We had between 10mm and 15mm overnight. I rang John Oxx first thing to put him in the picture and I likened the ground to Epsom on Derby day. The chances are we'll stay dry now for the next two days.”