Workforce Arc bid in the balance

DERBY winner Workforce's participation in Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp still hangs in the balance, with a decision on his trip to Paris scheduled to be made today.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt flopped in the King George at Ascot on his only run since his Epsom heroics, although he been the subject of positive bulletins in his recent work.

As short as 5-1 in places with the High Street betting chains, the King's Best colt was uneasy yesterday on the exchanges, touching as high as 14-1 on Betfair at one stage, albeit to what the firm describe as "not substantial" monies.

There were three withdrawals at the latest forfeit stage - Gerard Butler's Tinaar, the Pascal Bary-trained Dariole and Marsh Side, trained in America by Neil Drysdale. The going at the Paris track was on Wednesday described as soft, with more rain forecast for the weekend. "We have had a little shower today and also some sun but it is not great for the weekend with rain," said Longchamp clerk of the course Christian Delporte. "The ground is soft and, with the rain on Saturday, it's probably very soft."

French trainer Thierry Doumen has booked two-times Arc-winning jockey Kieren Fallon for Timos, who was third to Duncan in the Prix Foy in his prep race.

Meanwhile, Ship's Biscuit holds the key to the Noel Murless Stakes as the three-day Cambridgeshire meeting gets under way at Newmarket today.

Sir Michael Stoute's unexposed three-year-old has been up against it since breaking her maiden at Goodwood in June, but went into many notebooks with a game staying-on display in the Lillie Langtry back in Sussex.

She then came from too far back in the Park Hill at Doncaster to take fifth place, again behind Eastern Aria.

Being a half-sister to Hi Calypso, Ship's Biscuit clearly has the pedigree to relish such marathon trips, while the drop to Listed level is also a sage move.

Zaidan can get back on the straight and narrow in the Somerville Tattersall Stakes, while at Ayr the step back up to a mile should help Zabeel Tower create a favourable impression in the Betfair Racing Excellence Apprentice Training Series Handicap. The seven-year-old has not won for an age but is exceedingly well handicapped judged on his pleasing run at Musselburgh last time.

Illustrious Prince, by contrast, will enjoy dropping back in distance for the Hot To Trot Handicap at Kempton, and is fancied to win at a decent price.