Racing: Quinn and Cole still aglow

RICHARD QUINN and Paul Cole may soon be terminating their formal jockey/trainer partnership, but their winners together keep flowing to the end. At Newmarket yesterday the Whatcombe team's Lady In Waiting collected the Listed Severals Stakes and for good measure Cole, on the mark at Catterick with Sari, also took the opening seller with L S Lowry.

Lady In Waiting had more exotic targets than blasted Headquarters lined up (she had been a consideration for the EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada), but, it seems, the foreign jaunts are on hold.

"She was in the EP Taylor, but, because she is staying in training, we can have a go at that next year," the trainer said. "I don't want to overface her this season, but she is in a Group race in France in a couple of weeks and I would like to get a Group race into her."

Tomorrow's day of champions at Newmarket may have to go ahead without a horse who proved himself a hero 12 months ago. Turnpole, last season's Cesarewitch winner and a gelding who has been aimed at the inter-county marathon all season, is struggling to make the race following an injury which he appears to have sustained in the course of a nightmare. "Somehow, overnight, he's spread one of his front shoes and one of the nails has gone into his foot," Mary Reveley, the trainer of the race's second favourite, said.

"It was quite sore this morning, but we are treating it with a lot of water and hoping he will be able to run. I would say it's 50-50 at this stage."

The tears might have been more forthcoming from Reveley and her Saltburn yard were it not for the fact that she also has the impressive Haydock winner Lord Lamb in the race. The grey gelding is already 4-1 with the Tote to collect a prize his yard last captured with Old Red three years ago, and may become a ridiculously short price if his stablemate defects.

"It would be very disappointing if Turnpole wasn't able to run, as it has been his target all year," Reveley said. "Lord Lamb seems all right, but I am taking nothing for granted."

Sunday's Prix de la Foret at Longchamp could see one of the last big British raids of the season on France with five of the 11 acceptors, Victory Note, Muhtathir, Tomba, Kahal and Andreyev, trained on this side of the Channel.

Racing coverage under threat by C4 cricket deal, page 23