CONNECTIONS of Bosra Sham's 1,000 Guineas rivals were given hope yesterday by news of a minor setback to the odds on favourite. The unbeaten filly has a slight foot injury but trainer Henry Cecil hopes she will be able to resume work at the weekend and make the line up at Newmarket.

Bosra Sham has suffered a minor setback - she has bruised a foot," Cecil said. "But hopefully she will be back in exercise in a couple of days. Hopefully the setback won't affect her participation a week on Sunday."

Wafic Said's three year old has been prominent in ante post betting on the 1,000 Guineas ever since her victory in the Group One Fillies' Mile at Ascot last September.

She was offered at odds on after a six length triumph in the Dubai Duty Free Fred darling Stakes at Newbury last Friday and her market position strengthened with the recent Guineas defections of Blue Duster and A Votre Sante.

Bosra Sham is currently quoted at 2 to 5 for the first fillies' Classic by William Hill, who left her price unchanged after news of the setback.

Nor have the firm altered the prices of Hamdan Al Maktoum's Bint Salsabil or Bint Shadayid despite reports that one of the pair may miss Newmarket in favour of a tilt at the French 1,000 Guineas.

Sheikh Hamdan's racing manage Angus Gold said: "We still don't know whether both fillies will run at Newmarket. It is a question of whether Sheikh Hamdan wants to run one of them in Paris he is toying with the idea at the moment but no decision has yet been made."

John Reid will be aiming to overturn the favourite on Dance Sequence. The Ulsterman has agreed to ride the Michael Stoute trained owther Stakes winner in the belief that Peter Chapple Hyam will switch Sea Spray to the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.