A decision will be made on Saratoga Springs' Kentucky Derby bid towards the end of the week, connections have revealed. Trainer Aidan O'Brien describes his 1997 Racing Post Trophy winner as a "possible" for the `Run For The Roses'.

"No final decision will be made until later in the week," he said. With the American race just 12 days away Saratoga Springs could now be re-routed to the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on May 24th.

The colt missed out on his intended reappearance at Leopardstown on Sunday because of the very soft ground. "It was too soft at Leopardstown and we didn't want to risk bottoming him so early in the season," explained the Ballydoyle trainer.

O'Brien has his team in good form but is waiting for better going for his Classic hopes. Sagitta 2,000 Guineas second favourite King of Kings could be joined at Newmarket by stable companion Impressionist, with leading Vodafone Derby fancy Second Empire expected to reappear in the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday week.

Meanwhile, bookmakers were yesterday offering punters the `with a run' option on likely favourite Cool Dawn in Saturday's Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown for which 26 horses were declared at the five-day stage.

Robert Alner has expressed doubts about running both Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Cool Dawn and Racing Post Chase scorer Super Tactics due to the unsuitably soft going.

William Hill and Ladbrokes both go 7 to 2 Cool Dawn with a run and Coral make Alner's 10year-old their 4 to 1 favourite with a run.

Call It A Day and Scottish Grand National runner-up, Eudipe, are Coral's second favourites at 8 to 1.

Go Ballistic tops the handicap on 11st 10lb after the expected defection at yesterday's stage of Suny Bay, The Grey Monk and Belmont King, with weights for the last big chase of the jumps season rising by 11lb.

Other notable withdrawals included late Grand National defectors Amtrak Express, Mudahim, Superior Finish and Time For A Run plus promising novice The Toiseach.

Whitbread Gold Cup betting: Coral: 4-1 with a run Cool Dawn, 8-1 Eudipe, Call It A Day, 9-1 Cariboo Gold, 10-1 St Mellion Fairway, 12-1 Carole's Crusader, Court Melody, Dom Samourai, Super Tactics, 14-1 Samlee, Nahthen Lad, Lively Knight, Go Ballistic, 16-1 bar.

Ladbrokes: 7-2 with a run Cool Dawn, 8-1 Cariboo Gold and Eudipe, 10-1 Carole's Crusader, Dom Samourai, 11-1 Call It A Day and Super Tactics, 12-1 Court Melody, Go Ballistic, Kamikaze, Nahthen Lad and Tell The Nipper, 14-1 bar.

Sandown executives admitted yesterday that contingency plans are being considered in the event of continued wet weather preventing the staging of part of Saturday's Whitbread Gold Cup meeting.

Further unexpected downpours during Sunday night which yielded three quarters of an inch of rain left the Flat course, due to host the Thresher Classic Trial and Gordon Richards Stakes, unraceable yesterday.

As a result clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said an all steeplechase card or a programme featuring only two Flat events on the sprint track might be prepared.

Preparations for the £110,000 Whitbread Gold Cup are unlikely to be hindered even by what Cooper describes as "the softest jumping ground for the race for at least five or six years".

Philip Mitchell sent out his fourth winner from his last four runners when Sergeant Imp finished strongly at Brighton yesterday.

The gelding's performance follows the Epsom trainer's recent successes with Mister Tricky (twice) and The Fugitive.