Vicious blow for ante-post punters

Vicious Circle, who had been an 8-1 second favourite for the Ebor Handicap, will not attempt to repeat his victory of 12 months ago in the £175,000 race at York next Wednesday, it was announced yesterday. A spokeswoman for the six-year-old's trainer, Luca Cumani, said: "All I can say is that Vicious Circle will not run in the Ebor but Boreas will run."

Vicious Circle, who had been an 8-1 second favourite for the Ebor Handicap, will not attempt to repeat his victory of 12 months ago in the £175,000 race at York next Wednesday, it was announced yesterday. A spokeswoman for the six-year-old's trainer, Luca Cumani, said: "All I can say is that Vicious Circle will not run in the Ebor but Boreas will run."

Boreas is the 5-1 market leader with two leading firms having made a successful return to action at York last month. He missed all of last season with a serious leg injury.

With unsettled weather forecast, there were no plans last night to water the York track ahead of the prestigious three-day meeting which starts on Tuesday. John Smith, the clerk of the course, said: "The course is perfect. We had some rain over the weekend and the going is now spot-on good.''

Smith said he was hopeful that Giant's Causeway would run in the Juddmonte International Stakes on the opening day. Godolphin, which owns the multiple-winner, received another boost yesterday when Best Of The Bests took the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Frankie Dettori made all the running on the Derby fourth and the colt went on to win the 10-furlong Group Two race by four lengths. The favourite, Kutub, was second, with Hesiode third. The winner paid 5-2 on the Pari-Mutuel.

The leading Italian jockey Fernando Jovine has one ride booked at Salisbury today, Overspect for Paul Cole in the Isle of Wight Novice Stakes. Jovine is currently in Britain on a two-week holiday.