British stars to bypass Breeders' Cup

Hopes of another lucrative European raid on the Breeders' Cup could rest more with France than Britain after connections of several star performers outlined alternative options for their stable stars today.

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes hero Rakti is currently 5-1 joint favourite in Corals' betting on the Breeders' Cup Mile at Lone Star Park in Texas on 31 October, but punters should be warned that his trainer Michael Jarvis and owner Gary Tanaka are leaning towards the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin in December.

Clive Brittain is also favouring Hong Kong over Texas for Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye hero Var, while Ed Dunlop is eyeing a range of options after Ouija Board's gallant third behind Bago in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Coral make the dual Oaks winner as short as 2-1 favourite for the Filly & Mare Turf, but Dunlop is in no rush to commit to a costly supplementary entry until his star filly has had time to recover from her Paris trip.

"The big issue is the filly herself," he said. "She's just had the hardest race of her life and when she won the Oaks in June it took her a long time to get over it."

Ouija Board also has options in Hong Kong, while Dunlop has also engaged her in the Japan Cup, but the top French trainers seem much more willing to take on America's best in their own back yard.

Connections of Bago have already walked Lone Star's dirt track ahead of his planned tilt at the Classic, while Cacique, Whipper and last year's winner Six Perfections are pencilled in for a tilt at the Mile.

Dunlop's plans could have important consequences for Kieren Fallon, who is desperate to fend off Frankie Dettori in their ongoing jockeys' title battle but could miss a crucial weekend at the end of this month if asked to ride Ouija Board in America.

Meanwhile, Fallon also faces a stressful November.

The current champion will learn whether City of London Police plan to charge him over his arrest into an investigation into alleged race-fixing on 2 November, while the Jockey Club have denied suggestions that disrepute charges levelled against Fallon and John Egan in the wake of a News of the World sting operation are about to be dropped..

Portman Square PR director John Maxse said: "Our intention is still to go ahead with a hearing to establish whether they were culpable for damaging the public image of racing and November remains the target.

"There has been no substantial progress on some of the other cases pending, though we hope to accelerate the procedure over the next week or so."

Breeders' Cup Classic (William Hill): 9-4 Pleasantly Perfect, 11-2 Bago, 6 Birdstone, Ghostzapper, 7 Roses In May, 12 Saint Liam, 16 Funny Cide, Victory Moon, 20 bar.

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