BLUE DUSTER had been withdrawn from bookmakers' ante-post lists for the Pertemps 1,000 Guineas as negative rumours about her well-being persist.
David Loder's filly, unbeaten in four starts as a juvenile including a victory in the Shadwell Stud Cheveley Park Stakes, was due to contest the fillies' classic on May 5th without a prep race having worked at Newmarket after racing on Thursday.
But with Loder's Sefton Lodge string below top form, her participation has been thrown into doubt.
A final decision as to whether she will make the line-up at Newmarket in a fortnight's time was to be made late last night after Loder and Anthony Stroud, racing manager to owner Sheikh Mohammed, had consulted with the owner.
Stroud said yesterday: "Obviously she will need to be at the top of her mettle to run at Newmarket and David Loder's horses don't look to be in form. There is only a fortnight to go until the race.
"I spoke to Sheikh Mohammed this morning and I will speak to him again and to David Loder today before a final decision is reached.
"If she didn't go for the Guineas, she would be aimed at the Irish Guineas and the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot."
The strong doubt over Blue Duster has seen 1,000 Guineas favourite Bosra Sham harden in the ante-post market.
Henry Cecil's Woodman filly, who gave a command performance on her comeback in the Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury on Friday, is now a 4 to 9 shot with Coral for the race.
Coral's spokesman Rob Hartnett said: "It is disappointing that as the market for the 2,000 Guineas has become more open, the door on the betting for the 1,000 seems to have been slammed shut.
On Thursday there seemed to be a subdued air among connections after she had worked, and the negative vibes have spread.
We still believe there are opportunities to beat Bosra Sham but with the way the book is at "the moment we have had no option but to shorten her in the betting."
The anticipated clash between, Blue Duster and Bosra Sham held added interest in view of the rift between Cecil and Sheikh Mohammed last year.
Following a public row between the pair in the summer, the Sheikh took his horses away from Cecil, who had won four domestic classics for him during the 1980's.
Now the world's leading owner's main hopes of capturing the 1,000 Guineas rest with Bint Shadayid - herself the subject of disappointing reports on racing's bush telegraph - who represents his revolutionary Godolphin operation.
Coral's latest Pertemps 1,090 betting: 4-9 Bosra Sham, 6-1 Bint Salsabil, 7-1 Bint Shadayid and A Votre Sante, 16-1 Dance Sequence, 25-1 bar.
Paul Kelleway's General Academy failed in his ambitious attempt to win the £46,000 Prix Greffulhe at Longchamp yesterday after the Ray Cochrane-ridden 10 to 1 shot faded in the straight to finish seven lengths, fifth of six behind Ragmar.
The Pascal Bary-trained winner, who is now being programmed for the French Derby, provided the first of a big-race double for jockey Gerald Mosse.
In the Prix de Fontainebleau, Mosse landed a smooth win on the Aga Khan's Ashkalani who stretched his unbeaten run to three whilst earlier Shake the Yoke had crushed her three rivals to win the Prix de la Grotte by 10 lengths.
It was a dismal day for champion trainer Andre Vabre who sent out the favourite in each of the three major races on the Longchamp card.
Bijou D Inde remains on course to follow in the hoof prints of Mister Baileys shock victory of the 1994 2.000 Guineas after working under Jason Weaver at Thirsk racecourse yesterday morning.
