Aidan O'Brien has ruled Le Coudray out of a pre-Cheltenham decider with Limestone Lad in Tuesday's Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Two clashes between the horses at Navan this season have left the score at 1-1 but O'Brien said last night: "Le Coudray will probably have a break until the spring and then probably have one race before hopefully going to Cheltenham."

That would appear to leave Limestone Lad with a relatively easy task in the Woodies DIY-sponsored race and 24 hours later his old rival Istabraq appears to have the same in the AIB Festival Hurdle.

"So far, everything is good with Istabraq," O'Brien confirmed before adding that Kilcash Castle, an entry in the Stillorgan Orchard Novice Hurdle, is unlikely to appear due to the likelihood of very soft ground.

Meanwhile, Docksider has earned the reward for a successful campaign around the globe with a new job as a stallion in Ireland. Trainer John Hills confirmed that the colt, a winner of the Hong Kong Mile earlier in the month, will be taking his place at the Airlie Stud near the Curragh in the New Year.

The decision has dashed Hills' hopes of keeping one of his best horses in training for another season.

But the Lambourn trainer can understand the reasons why principal owner Gary Tanaka and breeder Sonia Rogers have opted to retire the son of Diesis.

"He's an outcross of Northern Dancer and has every chance of making it as a stallion. If they'd kept racing him all sorts of things could have gone wrong," he said.

Hills rates Docksider among the best he has trained - and that includes such horses as Broadway Flyer and Wind In Her Hair.

A progressive animal throughout 1999, Docksider ended his season in the highest company on opposite sides of the world.

Last month he travelled to the United States and was narrowly beaten in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Gulfstream Park.

Then he gained handsome compensation when defeating an international field to take first prize in the richly-endowed Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.