Hourigan to decide on Friday

Michael Hourigan will leave a decision on the participation of Beef Or Salmon in Sunday's John Durkan Memorial Chase until Friday morning.

The top staying chaser suffered an overreach when landing the James Nicholson Champion Chase at Down Royal at the beginning of November but is back in full work and could bid for back-to-back wins in the Punchestown feature.

However, he also has the option of the Hilly Way Chase over two miles at Cork a week later, a race he has won for the last two seasons, before he heads to the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown after Christmas when he could meet Best Mate.

"He worked well this morning but I won't make any decision until Friday," Hourigan told At The Races.

"The horse will tell us which way to go. If he pleases me on Friday I will run him on Sunday, if not he will run on Sunday week at Cork."

One Knight looks set to make his return to action in the John Hughes Rehearsal Chase at Chepstow on Saturday.

The eight-year-old, who has been on the sidelines since a first-fence fall in last year's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, also has the option of running in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock the same day.

But trainer Philip Hobbs said today: "I think we will be going to Chepstow and even if we ended up with top weight I'm not too worried.

"The advantage of the weights staying down would be that some of the others would be out of the handicap. But he's ready for a run and this has been his target for some time."

Phoenix Reach and Powerscourt have been confirmed as intended runners at the Hong Kong international meeting at Sha Tin.

The pair ran in the Japan Cup in Tokyo on Sunday, finishing sixth and 10th respectively behind Zenno Rob Roy.

Phoenix Reach, who delighted trainer Andrew Balding with that performance on his first run since July, landed the Group One Canadian International last season but has not won in four outings since.

He will fill the final vacancy in the 12-furlong Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase on December 12th.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Powerscourt, who finished third in the Breeders' Cup Turf before his Tokyo run, will contest the 10-furlong Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup on the same card.

Powerscourt is quoted at 7 to 1, while Phoenix Reach is a 16 to 1 chance for the Vase.

Yorkshire's nine racecourses are on target to achieve an overall attendance figure of one million for the second successive year.

Despite losing seven days on the Flat to the weather, including a Saturday in August at Ripon, the tracks expect to break through the barrier again during December, weather permitting.

The current average attendance of 6,398 shows an increase of 3.65 per cent over 2003.