'It's a possibility' - Coral-Eclipse option for Ghostwriter following Prix du Jockey Club fourth

Clive Cox believes heavy ground scuppered Ghostwriter's chance in the Prix du Jockey-Club last weekend and is keen to give him another crack over a mile and a quarter.

The trainer is set to bypass Royal Ascot with his 2,000 Guineas fourth and has nominated next month's Coral-Eclipse at Sandown as a possible target.

Ghostwriter was outpaced by the first three home in the latter stages at Chantilly where he was beaten under four lengths into fourth place behind the winner Look De Vega.

"Walking the track I thought he'd be fine, but 35mm of rain in a week was hopefully the reason that he didn't find the gear that he'd shown last year on quicker ground," Cox said of a colt who won the Royal Lodge Stakes on good to firm at Newmarket last season.

Ghostwriter is entered in several Group 1s over a variety of trips, from the St James's Palace Stakes over a mile to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby over a mile and a half.

"He's got a few options and we've only had him home a couple of days so we'll see how he is," Cox said.

Clive Cox: "The Eclipse is a possibility but a drier surface would be in our favour"Credit: David Carr

"There is nothing really for him at Royal Ascot and we'll be staying at a mile and a quarter. I know people said we'll be dropping back to a mile, but I'm pretty sure the ground was the reason. The Eclipse is a possibility but a drier surface would be in our favour."

Stablemate Kerdos will bid to emulate Profitable, who won the Temple Stakes for Cox in 2016 and then followed up at Royal Ascot the following month in the race that is now the King Charles III Stakes.

"Kerdos has come back super," Cox said. "He's as pleased with himself as we are with him. The timeframe to there is pretty good, it's a tried-and-tested route and I hope he can run well."

Coral-Eclipse (Sandown, July 6)

bet365: 2 City Of Troy, 7-2 Passenger, 13-2 White Birch, 8 Luxembourg, 9 Inspiral, 10 bar

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