Racing: Dancer leaves the stage to Exit: Richard Edmondson on a weekend of action abroad

SUAVE DANCER, last year's winner of the French Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, has been retired after suffering a recurrence of the ankle injury that has troubled him for much of the season.

'It's sad because he'd been training with a lot of sparkle,' John Hammond, the colt's trainer, said yesterday. 'He'd got up to doing fairly serious work, but, unfortunately, it became evident that the original injury was still a problem and we weren't going to be able to have him back to his best for the Arc. Basically, we've run out of time.

'It's a great shame because for me the horse remains one of the best, if not the best racehorse I've ever seen in the flesh, let alone trained.'

Several breeders have already expressed an interest in the horse and Suave Dancer's eventual home will emerge at the end of owner Henri Chalhoub's current negotiations with French, British and Japanese parties.

The pain may be at least partly alleviated for Suave Dancer's connections tomorrow when their Dear Doctor is part of an interesting field for the Arlington Million.

Among his rivals are the British challengers Second Set (Luca Cumani) and John Rose (Paul Kelleway) and three other horses that started their careers on these shores, Golden Pheasant, Marquetry and Quest For Fame, the 1990 Derby winner. The winner may be another horse that has performed in Britain, Francois Boutin's Exit To Nowhere, who was fourth at Royal Ascot in June before taking the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville last month.

Boutin's Arazi has his second round in the last chance saloon, tomorrow, in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp. The Chantilly trainer maintains the colt is a different character from the one that disappointed in the Kentucky Derby and St James's Palace Stakes. He will have to be as ranged against him are Dermot Weld's Brief Truce, who took the Royal Ascot race, and the Classic winners Shanghai and Hatoof.

The best value here though lies with Henry Cecil's All At Sea, who beat all bar Rodrigo De Triano in the International Stakes at York.

Arlington's festival kicks off today with the Beverley D, the richest turf race in the world for fillies. Mohammed Moubarak's Crystal Path and Ruby Tiger, who is trained by Paul Cole, may have to settle for place money here behind Dance Smartly, the Breeders' Cup Distaff winner last season.

A collection of younger fillies gather at The Curragh for the Moyglare Stud Stakes, including the ante-post favourite for the 1993 1,000 Guineas, Sayyedati. The best option, if Michael Bell's assessment is anywhere near accurate though, is the Newmarket trainer's Ancestral Dancer each-way.

The pick of the British fare today is the Haydock Park Sprint Cup, a race which offers a July Cup rematch between Mr Brooks (3.30) and Sheikh Albadou, whom many expect to gain revenge. He won't.

If Scrutineer (2.30) is as effective a performer on the Lancashire course's soft ground as he has been on firmer surfaces he should not be passed, while there are no going provisos about Two Left Feet (2.00), who transports a 5lb penalty following a facile success at Ripon on Monday. 'He's at his best when the stewards are inspecting the track and just about to call the meeting off,' Mark Prescott, the gelding's trainer, says.

At Kempton, the featured September Stakes includes several horses who have competed at Group One level but only one that truly belongs there, Seattle Rhyme (4.10), who must win to justify his price of 8-1 for the Arc.

Pat Eddery may feel he is owed the Sirenia Stakes, as his mount Silver Wizard (3.10) was the horse on which he picked up a suspension at York two weeks ago.

Two horses which should go well at decent prices in the televised handicaps are Texan Tycoon (next best 3.40) and ROBINGO (nap 4.40), who was backed extravagantly at Newmarket a week ago.