Athos to miss Northumberland Plate

RACING:DAVID WACHMAN has decided not to declare Mount Athos for the John Smith's Northumberland Plate at Newcastle tomorrow.

The Co Tipperary handler feels conditions would not suit and is now thinking of running the four-year-old in the Old Newton Cup at Haydock on Saturday week. “He’s fine, but the ground’s too soft. He might go for the Old Newton Cup,” said Wachman.

Mount Athos’s owner Dr Marwan Koukash will still have his colours carried by Icon Dream and English Summer, while Overturn has been handed a much kinder draw as he bids to become the first horse for 33 years to land back-to-back victories in the race.

* TOM DASCOMBE has given the green light to Brown Panther’s Deutches Derby bid on Sunday week. The Michael Owen-owned three-year-old was one of the most impressive winners of the recent Royal Ascot meeting, bounding away from his rivals in the King George V Handicap to win by six lengths.

Connections had seriously considered supplementing him for the Irish Derby this weekend but decided to give the colt more time to get over his exertions, with a trip to Germany the favoured next option.

Dascombe checked ground conditions in Hamburg and liked what he saw. “Everything is in place over there for him and the intention is to run,” he said.

* DUBAWI GOLD will be given a break after his disappointing performance in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Richard Hannon’s colt found only Frankel too strong in the 2,000 Guineas and he came close to going one place better in the Irish equivalent.

Connections tried to help him get closer to Frankel than he did at Newmarket by riding him closer to the pace at Royal Ascot, but it did not pay off. Tim Jones, racing manager to owner Andrew Tinkler, said: “He’s fine and has come out of Ascot well, but we’re going to give him a bit of time before his next run. He’s been running every three weeks since the end of March and while he’s in good shape, he could probably do with a bit of a break.”

JOCKEY Joe Fanning is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining a foot injury at Wolverhampton on Monday afternoon.

The rider was unseated from Berlusca in a six-furlong maiden at the Midlands venue and it was initially thought he had bruised his foot.

However, it has now been confirmed that Fanning has fractured his heel, forcing him out for a number of weeks.

Trainer Mark Johnston’s official website reported: “Joe Fanning (will be) off for at least six weeks with a broken foot. I hope he makes a speedy recovery as it is such a busy time of year and jockeys of his calibre are in very short supply.”