RACING: The one-time Derby favourite Yeats remains on course to make it to Epsom - even if it is a year too late for those who believed he was a potential 2004 classic winner.
Yeats will have just the second start of his four-year-old career in Friday's Vodafone Coronation Cup, which is the sole Epsom Group One that his trainer Aidan O'Brien has yet to win.
"The Coronation Cup remains the plan for Yeats. We have some others in the race as well but we are not sure if we will have more than one runner," said O'Brien yesterday.
It was at this time last year that muscle problems scuppered the hopes of those that had made Yeats favourite to provide O'Brien with a third Derby success.
Since then he has had just the one run when second to Cairdeas in the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh.
Wolfe Tone was another O'Brien colt to run in that race and he followed up with a Listed success at Newbury earlier this month.
He remains a possible to try and follow up in Monday's bonusprint.com Henry II Stakes at Sandown.
O'Brien will wait until early next week before deciding which of his seven entries he will send to Epsom for next Saturday's Derby.
Those that don't go could still get the opportunity at classic glory in the following day's Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.
"I would imagine we will have a runner in France but a lot will depend on what we do as regards Epsom," said O'Brien.
It's an all-jumping fixture at Punchestown this evening but two very smart flat performers can make it an evening to remember for punters.
Blue Corrig is a Stakes winner who bounced back to something like his best when just edged out in a good handicap at the Curragh last Sunday.
Today he has his ninth jumps start in the handicap hurdle and can score a second victory over flights under claimer John Allen.
Excelsius was Group One placed as a juvenile in Italy and a Listed winner in France a year later.
His second start in Ireland was a promising effort at Wexford and there should be improvement on that.
