Istabraq will be the focus of Aidan O'Brien's attention at home on Sunday when the champion hurdler reappears in the re-scheduled McManus Memorial Hurdle at Cork. And the Ballydoyle trainer will also be represented by Cupid in France's last Group One of the year tomorrow.

O'Brien has decided that Cupid, a narrow winner at Leopardstown on Saturday last, is a better option for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud than his Beresford Stakes winner Festival Hall. The Generous colt will be ridden by Michael Kinane.

"Cupid seems fine after his Leopardstown race. He's a tough horse and he will have to be tough on Saturday over 10 furlongs on soft ground," O'Brien said yesterday.

As for Istabraq, O'Brien reports the gelding is on course for his first appearance since suffering his only loss of last season to Pridwell at Aintree.

"Istabraq is fine. The delay from last week at Tipperary is not ideal but we will just have to get on with it. Hopefully, he won't have any problem with soft ground in Cork," he said.

O'Brien also reported Second Empire on track for the Breeders' Cup Mile in Kentucky in eight days time. The Fairy King colt is as long as 14 to 1 for that race behind the British-trained favourite Desert Prince.

"Second Empire is fine but we will not decide until after the Breeders' Cup if he stays in training next year," added O'Brien.

Sunday will also see the former Gold Cup winner Imperial Call try and maintain his new winning streak in the City Life Cork Grand National over three miles.

Imperial Call greatly impressed his rider Conor O'Dwyer when winning the Munster National at Limerick on his reappearance and nothing has happened since then to lessen O'Dwyer's enthusiasm.

"He was happy, content and lobbing along at Limerick whereas before he was sort of rushing everything, almost trying to get it over with. His jumping was absolutely brilliant. I've a picture of him jumping the last and he must be giving it eight inches. I'm not going to say he is back to his best yet but the feel he gave me in Limerick suggests he is getting there," said O'Dwyer.