'That trip should suit him' - Coral-Eclipse on the agenda for Dancing Gemini following Derby sixth

Trainer Roger Teal said Dancing Gemini will be aimed at next month's Group 1 Coral-Eclipse over a mile and a quarter after finishing sixth in Saturday's Betfred Derby despite a luckless run. 

The three-year-old, a narrow second in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas), was short of room in the early stages at Epsom and had to make up ground.

"It will probably be the Coral-Eclipse next," said Teal. "Timings-wise it works, so all being well we'll aim for Sandown. That trip should suit him. Coming back a couple of furlongs won't do him any harm. We've always known he has a lot of pace, which was always the worry going into the Derby – whether he had too much pace for it."

The entries for the Sandown Group 1 were whittled down to 40 at the acceptance stage on Tuesday, with Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom, Measured Time and Arabian Crown, who had been as short as 8-1 for the race on July 6, among those to be scratched.

On Dancing Gemini's Derby run, Teal added: "I was proud of his performance but a little bit frustrated. I didn't envisage us being that far back early doors but that was our draw and with the way the track is laid out, horses come across you very quickly. He then had to come wide down the straight, so it wasn't the perfect trip round, but he ran a cracker.

"He ran out of steam in the last 100 yards having had to make up ground in the early stages. He worked his way into fourth but his stamina let him down, probably due to the amount of ground he'd made up in a short space of time, and he also got a bit of a bump. I knew pretty early on that it would be tough to come from where we were."

War Chimes (left) charges home for third behind Ezeliya in the OaksCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

War Chimes had more luck at Epsom on Friday for David Menuisier, coming home well to finish third at 50-1 behind Ezeliya and Dance Sequence in the Oaks. 

"She ran a stormer," the trainer said. "She didn't really handle the track. She prefers going right-handed, but we thought we'd give it a go on slower ground. The plan is to go to the Curragh for the Irish Oaks, provided the ground is not rattling quick – she wants good ground or slower ideally. 

"I wasn't surprised by her performance. The Listed race she won against the colts last year, the Prix Isonomy, is always a very good race. It's thrown up some good winners, including Montjeu. She actually beat Sosie, who finished third in the Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday, which was a mighty performance.

"She needed her first run this season, like most of mine. I was telling the owners in December that she was an Oaks filly and that we needed to find a programme to take her there, so her run at Epsom was no real surprise."

David Menuisier: "I wasn't surprised by her performance"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Menuisier, who won last month's German 2,000 Guineas with Devil's Point, was represented in the Prix du Jockey Club by Sunway, who could be stepped up in trip after finishing seventh in the Chantilly Group 1 under Oisin Murphy. 

"He lost his chance when he clipped heels with Alcantor in the early stages and nearly went down," said Menuisier. "Oisin nearly fell off and was lucky to stay in the saddle. We were consequently shuffled back too far and it was difficult for him to make up ground. He doesn't have a massive turn of foot. He's more of a grinder.

"We could go up in trip with him. He finished his race really well and Oisin couldn't pull him up after the line. All the signs are there for him to run over further. It's too soon to say which race we might aim him at next."

Coral-Eclipse (Sandown, July 6)
Coral: 3 City Of Troy, 7-2 Passenger, 4 White Birch, Economics (needs to be supplemented), 7 Auguste Rodin, 8 Inspiral, Luxembourg, 10 Alflaila, Emily Upjohn, 16 Al Riffa, Continuous, Dancing Gemini, Jayarebe, 20 Henry Longfellow, Horizon Dore, Zarir, 25 bat

Read more:

'We were so pleased with how well he took that race' - Adam West hoping for a confidence boost for Live In The Dream at Haydock on Saturday 

'Never a moment's doubt' - Ezeliya proves a class apart to end Dermot Weld's 43-year wait for a second Oaks triumph 

Four Epsom eyecatchers who it can pay to follow throughout the remainder of the season 

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