Racing: O'Brien expects to stay on top with High Chaparral

For those perpetually playing catch-up behind Ballydoyle and Godolphin there is now a key phrase, a verbal bow and arrow to fire at their tanks, and it is "what a difference a year makes".

The weekend of the Irish Champion Stakes, which is run again a week on Saturday, 12 months ago saw the twin giants in all their crushing pomp. Grandera won the Leopardstown contest for Team Dubai and, the following afternoon, Rock Of Gibraltar posted a record seventh consecutive Group One victory for Ireland's standard bearers in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. The little guys finished somewhere else.

These same tiddlers of the turf could be excused for having a little snigger this time around. Saeed Bin Suroor, Godolphin's trainer, admitted at York's Ebor meeting that there was not a single, top notch horse among his great band of well-bred and expensively purchased three-year-olds. Not one.

At the same meeting, Aidan O'Brien saddled the first and second in the Great Voltigeur via Powerscourt and Brian Boru, who also occupy similar places in the ante-post lists for the St Leger. It may be that Ballydoyle will enjoy a flourish at season's end. They have not got much to beat in comparison with their fortunes from earlier in the season.

Most embarrassing of all though has been falling out between the Coolmore overlord, John Magnier, and Rock Of Gibraltar's part owner, Sir Alex Ferguson. It all seemed so beautiful as the Rock took root in the history books, with two men at the top of their respective trades glorying in each other's presence. We are unlikely to see them together ever again.

Big John was familiarly tight-lipped about the detail when he was at the Knavesmire, but the crux is that Ferguson has not been offered the half-share in breeding rights to Rock Of Gibraltar (worth a total of £12m in his first covering season) to which he believed he was entitled.

There are few more sordid sights than extremely rich men squabbling over money, but then, for some, this was how they came about their huge wealth in the first place.

The main piece of collateral damage has involved the Labrokes man, Mike Dillon, who had a foot, or perhaps more likely a toe, in each camp. A Manchester United supporter himself, Dillon enjoyed the access to management and players that Ferguson's foray into racing has afforded him. Alas, the good times are gone and Dillon's luxuriant moustache is now taking on a more Zapata appearance. He is no longer quoted as Ferguson's racing manager, a posting which now belongs to Henry Ponsonby.

Continually rumbling in the background at Ballydoyle is the speculation about Michael Kinane, the yard's contracted rider. When horses start running badly the jockey is the first person to be found at the end of the forefinger and Kinane, despite his many successes, has found himself no different.

The word is that Micky Jo will probably call it a day at the end of next season, though if Kieren Fallon, who has already been approached, decided he wanted the job, it would be his in an instant.

What Ballydoyle needs now is good news, the sort of coverage they received at York. Yet even then there was the odd suggestion from O'Brien that the poor fortunes of his horses this season had nothing to do with them simply not being good enough. The trainer said it was him and a consequence of his tweaking of techniques in the spring. When pressed to outline these modifications, O'Brien could offer no detail.

O'Brien has seldom had to make excuses for High Chaparral, his Derby winner of last season who is right on track for the Irish Champion Stakes. A shoulder injury meant the four-year-old's seasonal debut was delayed until earlier this month, but a winning return it was at the Curragh.

"The horse has come out of his run well and is in very good form," O'Brien said yesterday. "Provided the ground is right High Chaparral will be at Leopardstown on 6 September."

RACING IN BRIEF: THREE-DAY BAN FOR EDDERY

Pat Eddery signed off with a winner on Jedburgh at Epsom yesterday on what was probably his last appearance at the course, but his afternoon ended with a three-day riding ban. Eddery, who plans to retire from the saddle at the end of the season, was stood down for three days [3-5 September] for careless riding on Most-Saucy who finished third in the final race. The stewards decided that he had been guilty of allowing his mount to hang away from the whip without correction.

Henrik Engblom made his first visit to Epsom a successful one yesterday when landing the Burton & Smith Amateur Derby on Eton, trained by Dandy Nicholls. The 20-year-old Swedish jockey is assistant trainer to Tommy Gustafsson at Taby.

Auditorium, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, earned a 33-1 quote from Victor Chandler for next year's 2000 Guineas after completing a double at Ripon yesterday for Kieren Fallon, who also won on stablemate Fremen.