Aidan O’Brien’s Hawk Mountain has emerged as a leading contender for the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown this weekend, according to recent betting trends. The French Derby runner-up is competing with stablemate Constitution River, who defeated him at Chantilly and is the current favorite for the Group One race.

O’Brien is expected to announce his Coral-Eclipse team lineup shortly, but bettors appeared to anticipate the decision after Hawk Mountain was withdrawn from the German Derby field. The colt had been supplemented for the German Classic earlier in the week but his removal prompted a sharp cut in his odds from 12-1 to 6-1. Meanwhile, Constitution River had been favored at 11-10, reflecting expectations he would be the Ballydoyle stable’s primary hope for the race.

David Stevens, a representative for Coral bookmakers, noted that while O’Brien had planned to finalize his choices later this week, the betting market reacted quickly to Hawk Mountain’s withdrawal from the German Derby. Punters’ swift wagers suggest they now view Hawk Mountain as a serious contender to lead the Ballydoyle entry on Saturday.

In a related development, Calandagan, who was the world’s highest-rated racehorse last year, is set to compete in Sunday’s Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. The race offers the colt an opportunity to recover from an unexpected defeat in the Coronation Cup at Epsom. Calandagan’s performance at Saint-Cloud is anticipated to serve as preparation for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot later this month.