AS Saturday's 217th English Derby looms, Dr Massini yesterday looked set to become the second leading fancy to be ruled out of the Vodafone-sponsored event within a week.

Just five days after Godolphin scratched Pertemps 2000 Guineas winner Mark Of Esteem from the race, Michael Stoute announced that the new ante-post favourite was "highly unlikely" to line up at Epsom.

Like that of his predecessor as market leader, Dr Massini's withdrawal will come after he had appeared to come through an injury scare.

In a brief statement yesterday Stoute said: "Dr Massini is lame on his near-fore foot. It is highly unlikely that he will be able to run in the Derby but I will issue a further statement tomorrow morning."

The unbeaten Dr Massini, impressive winner of the Glasgow Stakes at York last week, had worked well at the weekend, suggesting he had successfully recovered from a lameness scare discovered on May 20th.

The Henry Cecil-trained Dushyantor now heads the market, at a best-priced 9-2 with Coral.

Stable-companion Storm Trooper could now be reunited with Michael Kinane - Dr Massini's intended jockey - who rode Fahd Salman's colt in the Dante Stakes at York last month.

Michael Stoute must look for a new rider for his Derby second string Double Leaf after Ray Cocrahe was ruled out by an injury sustained in Sweden last night

The jockey will be sidelined until Royal Ascot at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Mark Tompkins is convinced that Even Top will be none the worse for the poisoned fi9t he suffered at the weekend.