News round-up: Mubtaker is still not a definite runner in next Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe despite pleasing trainer Marcus Tregoning in his work last week.
The seven-year-old caught the eye on the gallops in Lambourn on Friday and has enjoyed a trouble-free run since disappointing in Germany earlier this month.
"It is still very much in the balance whether he runs at Longchamp," Tregoning said yesterday. He will be left in the race and the decision taken towards the middle and end of next week.
"I've had no problems whatsoever with him since he came back from Germany, but maybe that race came a bit quick for him. In the meantime he will work again before Sheikh Hamdan decides."
Mubtaker, who found only Dhalakhani too strong in last year's Longchamp showpiece, returned to action in impressive style when landing the Geoffrey Freer Stakes for the third successive time in August.
However, he found the loose ground in Germany against him three weeks ago and could only finish seventh behind Warrsan in the Grosser Volkswagen Preis Von Baden at Baden-Baden.
Tregoning's High Accolade gained reward for his consistency when taking the Barnardo's Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot for the second year running yesterday.
The four-year-old loves nothing better than getting into a battle and seemed to positively relish the challenge when hampered by leader Self Defense inside the final furlong.
Rallying with determination under Martin Dwyer, the 3 to 1 chance got back up inside the final strides to deny Self Defense's trainer Pat Chamings his biggest training success in the Group Three prize.
"It was a very tough performance and Kieren's horse was just hanging into ours a little bit," said Tregoning.
"That made it a bit harder for High Accolade but he is very tough, enjoys a scrap and Martin has done a great job to get him up on the line - but full credit to the second horse, he has run a cracking race."
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)