Racing: White's great hope

WHITE MUZZLE, with just one victory to his credit in 1994, has the opportunity of ending the season on a high note. Together with Muhtarram, Peter Chapple-Hyam's four-year-old has been selected to represent Europe in the Japan Cup on Sunday, 27 November.

In the same race last year, White Muzzle finished 13th. The event is run over a mile and a half at Tokyo racecourse. Muhtarram, trained by John Gosden, has already run in England, Ireland, France, Italy and America this season.

Apple Tree, Bright Moon and Hernando, all trained in France, are the other European selected horses.

In Australia, betting for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup has been thrown into confusion by the injury to Vintage Crop. The Irish hope had been 7-2 favourite locally.

Trainer Dermot Weld has described the incident as a 'catastrophic setback,' and estimated Vintage Crop has only a 50 per cent chance of running. The horse suffered a deep puncture and two further gashes to his off-fore when, startled by a gust of wind, he lurched into a fence.

Yesterday's card at Redcar was abandoned following further rain. Stewards found the track was unsafe for racing and next Tuesday's meeting scheduled for Redcar has been switched to Newcastle.