Election Day to win by landslide

In terms of Classic scares, Henry Cecil has been as productive as the Hammer House Of Horrors this season. The Newmarket trainer, who patched up Bosra Sham to win the 1,000 Guineas, yesterday announced his Derby aspirant, Dushyantor, was off the work roster at Warren Place.

"On Thursday morning Dushyantor was found sore on what was thought to be a ligament," Cecil said yesterday. "This turned out to be a minor infection and his Derby preparation will resume on Monday.''

Despite the trainer's nonchalance, there were reverberations in the Derby ante-post market. William Hill extended Dushyantor, who was runner-up to Glory Of Dancer in the Dante Stakes at York on Wednesday, to 7-1 (from 5-1), balancing this manoeuvre by cutting both Dr Massini (5-1 from 6- 1) and Even Top (6-1 from 7-1).

It seems difficult to remember that on Thursday morning Dr Massini was priced at 33-1 with William Hill. But only those bearing caps with the word Unigate stamped on the front were able to get on at that price. The unwise who got their money out as betting shop managers were pinning up The Sporting Life had to make do with 16-1.

A medical bulletin was also received yesterday on another beaten horse in the Dante, Nash House. "We have scoped him and he has a high white blood cell count and some sort of mild infection," Peter Chapple-Hyam, the colt's trainer, said. There are hopes that Nash House will still make it to Epsom.

Cecil may not be the man to ask for a favour at the moment. As well as his Dushyantor problems off the racecourse, he had a setback on it yesterday when Quota was beaten in the Fillies' Trial at Newbury.

Back at the Berkshire course this afternoon he will be reminded of the many good horses that have been removed from his care following Sheikh Mohammed's departure.

Charnwood Forest, a horse Cecil developed into one of the leading milers of last season, now competes in the deep blue livery of Godolphin, and has his saddle applied by Saeed Bin Suroor. The colt was wintered in Dubai and now tries to pay for his keep in the Group One Lockinge Stakes.

In normal times, Spectrum would be the selection for this event. Chapple- Hyam's colt looked irresistible in the Champion Stakes last season and was fourth in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp on his seasonal debut last month, when he was as ready as a kettle that had not yet been placed over the gas ring. However, Chapple-Hyam's horses have been running recently as if something nasty has come to visit Manton.

Three of today's runners met in the Sandown Mile, when Gabr beat Soviet Line with Nwaamis back in fourth. Someone seemed to have scrambled Pat Eddery's radar equipment on the runner-up that day as the Irishman took a blind man's buff of a route up the Esher straight.

Gabr had earlier finished behind Smart Alec in Newmarket's Earl Of Sefton Stakes, and the weight comparisons from the two races suggest Soviet Line will come out on top this time.

This is not to say that Soviet Line can beat Charnwood Forest (next best 3.00). The underlying theme on the racecourses this spring appears to be that Godolphin have brought over a dud batch this year, and in comparison with last season's outrageous achievements this was always going to be a less sensational campaign.

Nevertheless, it is a measure of the station that Team Emirates has reached that Bin Suroor's current third place in the trainers' championship is being looked at as underachievement. If you have to fail, make sure you do it like Godolphin.

Mark Of Esteem has been the best of his squad's five winners to date, but it must be remembered that Charnwood Forest too was considered to be one of the better animals that flew out of Dubai three weeks ago.

The Newbury card opens with a race for the expert or the desperate. In an event of myriad possibilities, Burnt Offering (2.00) should go well at a decent price. In the middle leg of the television races the best option is ELECTION DAY (nap 2.30), who performed with great credit for a callow beast in Chester's Ormonde Stakes.

THE DERBY (Epsom, 8 June) Ante-post odds: Hills: 4-1 Glory Of Dancer, 5-1 Dr Massini, 6-1 Even Top, 7-1 Dushyantor & Mark Of Esteem, 8-1 Alhaarth, 16-1 Shaamit, 20-1 Storm Trooper, 25-1 bar. Ladbrokes: 9-2 Dr Massini, 5-1 Glory Of Dancer, 6-1 Dushyantor, Even Top & Mark Of Esteem, 7-1 Alhaarth, 14-1 Storm Trooper; 20-1 bar.

LOCKINGE STAKES - 10-YEAR-TALE

1986 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95

Fate of the favourites: 3 4 4 2 4 2 3 6 2 1

Winner's place in betting: 2 2 3 3 0 2 2 0 0 1

Starting-prices: 4-1 9-2 8-1 9-1 5-1 3-1 5-2 12-1 11-2 2-1

Ages: 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 5

Profit or loss to pounds 1 stake: Favourites -pounds 7.00. Second Favourites +pounds 8.00

Percentage of winners placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in last race: 60%

Shortest-priced winner: Soviet Line 2-1 (1995)

Longest-priced winner: Swing Low 12-1 (1993)

Top trainer: M Stoute - Scottish Reel (1986), Safawan (1990), Soviet Line (1995)

Top jockey: W R Swinburn - Scottish Reel (1986), Safawan (1990); Soviet Line (1995)