Yeats may have workout tomorrow

News and previews: The Derby favourite, Yeats, is set to undergo an important workout this weekend which will help the Ballydoyle team know where they stand with just a week to go to the Epsom Classic.

Aidan O'Brien indicated yesterday that the gallop could take place tomorrow and he reported no problems with the 9 to 4 blue riband favourite after the colt's slight problem with stiffness last weekend.

"We will see how he is when he works. It's not definite but it could be Saturday when we give him that piece of work," he said.

Yeats is unbeaten in three starts to date, including the Derrinstown Trial last month, but one man who believes the Sadler's Wells colt will have to improve significantly to keep his unbeaten record at Epsom is the Irish handicapper.

Gary O'Gorman currently rates Yeats at 112, which is almost a stone behind the mark a good Derby winner usually picks up for winning at Epsom.

"High Chaparral got a rating of 126 after he won and Galileo was also in the same category. Kris Kin last year was in the low 120s. Yeats will have to improve but a horse can only be rated on what he beats. Galileo had a similar profile going into the race and he managed to find that improvement. It remains to be seen if Yeats will," O'Gorman said yesterday.

Nevertheless, the second favourite, Snow Ridge, already boasts a 120 rating after his second placing to Haafhd in the 2,000 Guineas, which leaves the Irish star with it all to do on the figures.

"Yeats has a similar profile to Galileo but at this stage he has a few pounds to find with the likes of Alamshar, High Chaparral and Sinndar at this same stage of their careers. That said, High Chaparral and Sinndar had run in the trials with Group One penalties. It should be fascinating to see how he does at Epsom," he added.

There will be plenty of interest this evening at Punchestown, where the champion jump jockey Barry Geraghty makes his return to action after injuring a hand.

Geraghty has six rides and he is wasting no time getting back into the swing of it with a ride on Theseus in the handicap chase.

This one only made it to the fourth fence in his first start since October at Cork but will relish the forecast fast ground.

Geraghty is on the Limerick winner Sargon in the conditions hurdle and this one will like being back on fast going but the interesting contender in this one is Accordion Etoile.

Paul Nolan's horse beat the high-class Newmill at Navan last November and if fit enough after his long break should be up to scoring.

Down at Cork Aidan O'Brien introduces another Storm Cat newcomer, Dark Cheetah, in a juvenile maiden and should know where he stands with the Tipperary runner-up Spring Of Pearls.

Michael Kinane and the Danehill filly McQueenie look a hard combination to beat in the Macroom Maiden and Walk In My Shadow could be a value bet in the seven-furlong handicap.

Meanwhile, stall handlers in Britain are set to strike over new contracts, threatening a tape start to the Derby.