Eclipse next target for Definite Article

DEFINITE ARTICLE, runnerup in last year's Budweiser Irish Derby, is to challenge for the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday week. Dermot Weld, who trains the colt, said yesterday. "Definite Article will be my first runner in the Eclipse and the second for Moyglare."

Double Trigger has been sold to race in Saudi Arabia. The Mark Johnson trained stayer was second in last week's thrilling Ascot Gold Cup, for which he started favourite.

Meanwhile, Lee Richardson marketing director of the British Horseracing Board, yesterday countered suggestions that the sale of Double Trigger constituted a continuance of the "talent drain" of equine talent from Britain.

"Of course it is a shame that racing loses one of his stars, but on what practical grounds do you intervene for the benefit of British racing?"

Walter Swinburn, having being examined by the Jockey Club's chief medical officer, Dr Michael Turner, could make a return to race riding as early as next week, his father Wally senior said yesterday.

Swinburn has steadily been nursed back to health since suffering a broken shoulder, broken ribs and bruised lungs in a fall at Sha Tin racecourse, Hong Kong, in February.

And "although many doubted whether the 34 year old would race again, his father claimed that Swinburn is making the final paces of his road to recovery. "Walter has gone to see Dr Turner today, and then he will go to see a neurosurgeon tomorrow or on Friday said Swinburn senior.

"I'm no doctor, but Walter is absolutely fabulous. I am only going on the recommendations of the three specialists in Cambridge Walter has been seeing all along. One of them, Robert MacFarlane, has given him the green light. I reckon he could be riding by the end of next week.

"It's the bones that have taken the time to repair. The lungs and the bones have been a problem but his head is fine and now he is absolutely perfect."

. John Hills Royal Philosopher (Olivier Peslier), making his second trip to France, proved best of the British quartet at Evry yesterday by running out a game winner of the Listed one mile Prix Lovelace.