Yorkshire hero Ribchester will sign off at Breeders Cup

Richard Fahey’s stable star heads to America after heavy ground was blamed for the colt’s defeat in last Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

However the Malton trainer was keen to see Ribchester, owned by Sheikh Mohammed, run for a final time on a quick surface and a breeze on the Fahey’s Musley Bank gallops yesterday convinced him the four-year-old – the winner of four Group One races – remained in great heart ahead of the trip to America.

“He has kept his coat, he looks a picture, and clearly, he wants to go,” Fahey told www.godolphin.com. “He has done everything but tell me himself that he should be on the plane to California. “I’m very happy with him. He’s in great order.”

Meanwhile Aidan O’Brien will field four of the 12 runners in tomorrow’s Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster as he seeks a record-breaking 26th victory at the highest level this year.

The Pentagon, Saxon Warrior, Seahenge and Coat Of Arms are the chosen quartet as O’Brien attempts to surpass legendary America trainer Bobby Frankel’s Group One tally.

Despite Saxon Warrior and The Pentagon dominating the betting for next year’s Epsom Derby, the two-year-old bringing the best form into the race is Jim Bolger’s National Stakes winner Verbal Dexterity, who was forced to miss the Dewhurst after scoping dirty. Bolger also runs Theobald.

Heading up the home team is John Gosden’s unbeaten Roaring Lion who will aim to cap an amazing autumn for the trainer whose career has been taken to new heights by his champions Enable and Cracksman.

Ben Pauling could be expecting fireworks having provisionally pencilled Willoughby Court in for his chasing debut at Huntingdon on November 5.

The trainer reports the colt, winner of last season’s Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, to have sparkled in his only schooling session over the bigger obstacles.

“We schooled him once and he was so good we just left it at that.”