Racing: Aidan O'Brien was giving little away today for punters trying to second-guess which of the trainer's four Vodafone Derby runners might be blessed with the services of ace jockey Kieren Fallon on Saturday week.
O'Brien was one of the trainers interviewed at an Epsom press conference to promote the track's famous Classics next weekend.
But although giving a fairly positive bulletin about all four of his possible Derby starters, the question as to which might be the choice of stable jockey Fallon was deftly skirted.
"They all have two or three bits of work left to do before we know where we stand with them," said the Ballydoyle trainer, bidding for his third success in the famous Flat race.
"With Horatio Nelson the plan was always to go to the Derby after the Guineas if everything was well with him. We thought he was a little bit behind at Newmarket and that he would improve for that run. We think he has improved but we will have a better idea once he has done his good piece of work over the weekend.
"Septimus handled the ease in the ground well at York and come home very well but he needs to work again before we can be sure how he has come out of the race.
"Dylan Thomas was a horse we always hoped would get a mile and a half and he looked the type to do well from two to three. He did it well in the Derrinstown Stud Trial and Mountain also ran well to finish second.
"They are our four strong possibles at this stage."
Asked which horse would be the number one contender, O'Brien replied: "You really want to wait until a couple of days before the race. Little things can knock them off top form and you want to wait and see which horse is really coming alight at the right time."
O'Brien did, however, confirm that Alexandrova, the widespread favourite for the Vodafone Oaks, would bid to reverse placings with her Musidora Stakes conqueror Short Skirt.
"York was a little bit messy," said the trainer. "She lost her confidence a little bit in the race when she stumbled coming out of the stalls. "It gave her a bit of a fright and she did well to come there to win the race in the end but when she got there a bit early she got tired.
"We thought before the race that she would improve for it and hopefully she will have come on and she will stay a mile and a half."