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O'Brien chooses Curragh option for St Nicholas Abbey.

The well regarded Ballydoyle juvenile St Nicholas Abbey will not take up his option to run in Saturday's Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot. Instead, the unbeaten colt will pit his abilities against predominantly Irish opposition in this weekend's Group 2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

O'Brien will no doubt be hoping St Nicholas Abbey proves as good as last year's Beresford Stakes winner - the world's current number one racehorse Sea The Stars.

Godolphin may get virtual free hand in Royal Lodge.

With Aidan O'Brien already ruling St Nicholas Abbey out of the Royal Lodge Stakes, the selection of the Goffs Million Mile option for John Gosden's Azmeel may mean the Godolphin supplemented pair of Frozen Power and Vale of York may find themselves fighting for favouritism in Saturday's Ascot race.

Gosden has not confirmed his plans for Azmeel, but on paper the Goffs Mile looks an easier race, although he may have to overcome Mark Johnston's Solario Stakes winner Shakesperian, who also still holds an entry in the race at the Curragh.

Ballydoyle pair being laid out for Dewhurst.

In an interview with ATR, Aidan O'Brien has reported the unbeaten juvenile pairing of Cape Blanco and Steinbeck are being prepared for this year's Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October.

While Cape Blanco has had three victorious outings this season, Steinbeck has been very lightly raced, with only a maiden success to his credit. But it seems very unlikely Aidan O'Brien would enter Steinbeck into one of the toughest juvenile races of the year if he did not hold the youngster in the highest regard.

Youmzain to race in blinkers.

Mick Channon has today confirmed Youmzain will wear blinkers for the first time when he competes in this year's Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday week.

Placed second in the last two runnings of europe's leading mile and a half race, connections believe the first time blinkers may help Youmzain to get his head in front for the first time.

However, if ground conditions stay dry over the next eleven days, and Sea The Stars does line up at Longchamp, we suspect the best Youmzain can hope for is to finish second again.

Yeats could have final farewell at Longchamp.

Aidan O'Brien today suggested Yeats could have one final racecourse appearance in this year's Prix du Cadran at Longchamp on Arc day.

"He looks after himself on soft ground these days, and that is why he dropped out in the Irish Field St Leger.

He has run in the Cadron before, and if we get good ground in Paris, he will probably give it a 'good go', so if conditions are right, we will give the French public one last chance to see him in action."

Condon given permission to ride.

Leading Irish jockey Davy Condon has had to sit and suffer for most of the summer as he has waited for a broken bone in his ankle to heal, but this morning he received the good news, he can start work riding again later this week.

If Condon has no problems over the next couple of weeks, he is hopeful of returning to race riding in early October.

Godolphin confident as Haggas has doubts.

According to stable gossip, Delegator was sensational in his last piece of work ahead of this weekend's confrontation with Rip Van Winkle in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, and trainer Saeed bin Suroor seems confident his charge is in the kind of form required for him to win his first Group 1 race.

Conversely, In an interview with ATR, William Haggas feels his Prix du Moulin winner Aqlaam has a lot to do if he is to overcome Rip Van Winkle and Delegator in Saturday's contest - not a ringing endorsement for anyone holding an anti post voucher on Aqlaam!

Dry weather could force Champagne to be missing from Ascot.

TheBarry Hills trained Champagne Lifestyle has won her only start at Newmarket in July, and her syndicate of owners in the Betfair Club wanted her to run in the Meon Valley Stud Fillies Mile at Ascot this weekend, but if the current forecast for dry weather is accurate, she is likely to by-pass Ascot's good to firm ground for some cut in either the C L Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh this coming Sunday, or the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on Arc weekend.

Haggas holds High Standing in high regard.

William Haggas's horses have been in fine form of late, and in an interview today, he indicated he expected High Standing to return to the winners enclosure in this weekend's Group 2 Diodem Stakes at Ascot,

"He is a difficult horse to train, but thanks to the efforts of my staff he has achieved four wins and managed to finish third in the Haydock Sprint Cup on his last outing, and that kind of form gives him every chance this Saturday.

I know he didn't like the softer ground at Haydock, otherwise I would have expected him to be closer to the winner, but back on better ground this weekend, I am very hopeful he will return to winning ways."

Murtagh returns to action at Fairyhouse.

Johnnie Murtagh has reported he feels much better after taking a few days off and having physiotherapy treatment on the lower back injury he suffered when falling at Dundalk. The Ballydoyle number one is due to get back into racing mode with rides at Fairyhouse today, and he has made it quite clear he is really looking forward to riding Rip Van Winkle in this weekend's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

Webber bullish over Time For Rupert.

Paul Webber is delighted with the initial form being shown on the home gallops by his Aintree Totepool Hurdle winner Time For Rupert, and the trainer has made no secret of the fact he expects his five year old to be challenging for major honours in the long distance hurdle races of the 2009 2010 national hunt season.

Webber is not usually a demonstrative trainer, so bearing his claims in mind, Time For Rupert might be a horse to be considered in the upcoming national hunt season's Ten To Follow competition.

Troytown attempt on cards for Royal County Star.

Royal County Star could well have won last week's Guinness Kerry National had he not blundered at the last fence, and even after the mistake he showed great determination to stay on for third position in the Listowel premier race. Trainer Tony Martin confirms the gelding has not suffered any lasting effects from his near fall, and the handler thinks, after a rest, Royal County Star may well be aimed at the Troytown Chase at Navan, a race he won in 2007.

Cross-country option for Silver Birch.

Gordon Elliott is reported to be delighted with 2007 Grand National winner Silver Birch. Having raced in point to point contests at the end of the last national hunt season, the gelding is now reported to be fully recovered from the injury which threatened his racing career, and the twelve year old is in advanced work on his home gallops ahead of the upcoming national hunt season.

Elliot is looking to give Silver Birch a hurdle or point to point outing ahead of a likely cross-country campaign, with the cross-country contest at Cheltenham's November Open Meeting as his first target for this year.

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