Racing Champion Stakes countdown: The atmosphere around Leopardstown is likely to be crackling with phone signals this morning as Aidan O'Brien tries to decide if High Chaparral will be able to run in Saturday's Ireland, The Food Island, Champion Stakes

With watering having begun at the track yesterday, to try and turn the ground from "firm" into "good to firm," no one is hoping more than the champion trainer that the moves have worked.

If it doesn't, then Plan B, the Prix Foy at Longchamp on Sunday week, will move to the forefront of calculations at Ballydoyle and Leopardstown will lose more than a little credibility in billing the Champion Stakes as "the race of the season".

O'Brien emphasised yesterday that the clash with Alamshar, Falbrav, et al remains his preferred option but also insisted: "Even if we declare him we will still have a look at the course on Saturday morning too. We do need safe ground with this horse because it is important he stays around. We need him."

This season is the first that the might of Coolmore-Ballydoyle has thrown its weight behind keeping star names in training as four year olds and the results to say the least have been mixed.

In a year where the classic colts have failed to sparkle, Hawk Wing's Lockinge and Black Sam Bellamy's Tatts Gold Cup have provided some much needed Group One solace.

Against that has been the anti-climactic end to Hawk Wing's career, Milan's retirement without once making it to the start line and an injury to High Chaparral in the spring that delayed his reappearance until last month.

That Royal Whip success indicated, however, that the double-Derby and Breeders' Cup hero could be just as good as ever. That's what Messrs O'Brien, Magnier and Tabor are banking on, and that's why they need him so much.

It's significant, though, that it is the ground which is preoccupying O'Brien's thoughts and not the drop back to a mile and a quarter.

"We have always felt he has plenty of pace," he commented yesterday. "That has never been the problem."

He added: "He has been in full work since the Royal Whip and you would imagine he will have come on from that. Mentally too it should have sharpened him up. But it is still only his second run back and it's a very good race. They are all there. The main thing for us will be that he is safe after the race."

The definite impression is that keeping High Chaparral in the pink is the main objective, despite O'Brien targeting four other Group One races around the world this weekend.

On Saturday night, Edgar Prado will partner the disappointing classic hope Hold That Tiger in a retrieval mission on the dirt in Belmont Park's Woodward Stakes.

On the same card, Carpanetto, also with Prado on board, will also try and regain some three year old credibility in the Man O'War Stakes on turf.

Then on Sunday, Statue Of Liberty will run in Longchamp's Prix du Moulin, while Black Sam Bellamy is off to Germany to run in the Grosser Preis von Baden.

"We'll try and get through it all!" joked O'Brien whose only previous Champion Stakes success was with Giant's Causeway in 2000.

That, however, was one of only two wins for three year olds in the race in the last 10 years.

That policy of keeping horses in training for another year might just have found the ideal platform to pay off.