Ferdy Murphy is keen to let Three Mirrors return to Cheltenham next month following his fine effort in defeat in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The eight-year-old was having his first outing of the campaign at Prestbury Park less than two weeks ago and he could return to the venue for the valuable Boylesports.com Gold Cup on December 13.

Also under consideration for the Grade Three contest are L’Antartique, who Murphy saddled to win the Paddy Power 12 months ago, and Aces Four, who is on the comeback trail following a stop-start campaign last season.

“Three Mirrors will have an entry in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup and we’ll probably enter L’Antartique and Aces Four as well,” said Murphy.

“Three Mirrors ran a really good race in the Paddy Power. I’m happy with the horse and if we got a bit of dry ground, we’d be very keen to go back to Cheltenham.

“L’Antartique is likely to run in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle on Saturday, along with Aces Four, just to get a run into them both.

“We’d have a look at the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon (December 11) as a possibility for one of them, rather than the Boylesports, but both of them will definitely have entries in the Cheltenham race.

“Aces Four is very well, we’re looking forward to running him soon and he’s going to go for the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.

“He’s coming back after a bit of a break so I’m looking to get a couple of runs into him before then.”

Jeremy Noseda has two chances to win the Cheveley Park Stakes for the third time with both Mythical Border and Adorn lining up on the Rowley Mile.

Wannabe Grand struck in Noseda’s early days as a trainer in 1998 before Carry On Katie obliged in 2003 and he has secured top jockeys Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori to help his cause.

Moore will be on Cheveley Park Stud’s Adorn, who bolted up at Kempton last time, while Dettori’s mount is Flying Childers third Mythical Border.

“Mythical Border is in good order and ran a great race on what was just her second career start last month at Doncaster,” Noseda told his website.

“I feel she will move forward for that and goes into the Cheveley Park with credentials that suggest she’ll be very competitive.

“I am happy with Adorn and while this is a big step up in class, I feel it’s worth taking a chance in what appears – at this point – not to be a vintage renewal of the event.”

David Wachman is anticipating another bold show from Bushranger as he bids for a Group One double in the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

The Danetime colt landed top-level honours in France last time when impressively winning the Prix Morny at Deauville and although he has been pleasing his handler since, Wachman is taking nothing for granted.

“You can never be confident going into a race like this,” he said.

“The horse is very well, he’s pleased me since his run in France. The form has worked out well with the second and third both running well since.

“The ground won’t worry him tomorrow. It might be pretty quick but there is no way it will be quicker than it was at Ascot (when second to Flashmans Papers in the Windsor Castle).

“It’s a stiffish six furlongs at Newmarket but he certainly wasn’t stopping in France, in fact he was finishing best of all.

“It’s his sixth run tomorrow but we’re not making any plans until after the race regarding next year, we’ll just get this out of the way first.”

I do think forecast favourite Serious Attitude is the most interesting runner in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

She rather defies her pedigree as she is by Mtoto out of a mare called Zameyla, who I remember well, and you would expect her to have stamina for further than six furlongs.

However Serious Attitude has plenty of speed and last time out at Salisbury she won in very fluent fashion from Sneak Preview who went on to finish second in the Firth Of Clyde Stakes at Ayr. Rae Guest’s filly won in such good style at Salisbury that she could just be a cut above these, especially as all the other form lines are rather tight.

Pursuit Of Glory is a beautifully-bred filly who won a very modest race at Dundalk by six lengths last time. She improved in leaps and bound from her debut there and while the form isn’t very good, the fact she is being elevated to Group One company suggests she is held in very high regard.

David Wachman is a trainer on the up and his runner must be respected with Johnny Murtagh in the saddle.

Of the others, Infamous Angel won the Lowther Stakes at Newmarket but that was a bunch finish with Langs Lash back in third. She is three pounds better off with the winner here.

Heart Shaped is a possible improver for Aidan O’Brien although her form wouldn’t be quite good enough at this stage. She ran well enough when fourth to Please Sing in the Cherry Hinton, and the winner there is closely matched with Infamous Angel and Langs Lash on various formlines.

Another lightly-raced type who has looked very smart is Adorn who won an ordinarly all-weather maiden at Kempton last time. She goes up in class here and in such an open race, I am taking the chance that Serious Attitude could just be something special.

Trainer David Wachman also has a leading player in the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes with Bushranger who beat subsequent Champagne Stakes winner Westphalia earlier in the season.

He also beat Gallagher and subsequent Mill Reef winner Lord Shanakill in the Prix Morny at Deauville which is also very solid form.

Bushranger is the leading form choice although he doesn’t have an awful lot in hand of Gallagher or Prolific, who beat Gallagher in the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

It all looks very tight but Finjaan is a very interesting runner for Marcus Tregoning.

He won the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood, beating a decent sort in Bonnie Charlie, and looks to have a lot of natural ability.

Connections expect him to improve over six furlongs and while he is quite firey and can take a keen hold, I make him my selection.

Papal Bull is on course to bid for an elusive first Group One success in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

The five-year-old has gained a reputation as something of a quirky performer but has been in excellent form this term, kicking off with a fourth place in the Coronation Cup.

He then finished second in a Newmarket Group Two before pushing Duke Of Marmalade all the way when a narrow runner-up in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July.

Papal Bull has since finished third in a German Group One but was promoted to second after the initial winner Oriental Tiger was disqualified for a failed drugs test.

Trainer Sir Michael Stoute has given him a break since that run at Cologne in August and connections are hopeful their long-term plan can come to fruition.

“We are booking our flights today, but I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet and we haven’t started getting nervous,” said David Stack, a member of the Papal Bull Syndicate.

“Michael picked out the King George and the Arc for him earlier in the year and he’s done the first one and is on course for the second.

“The German track just didn’t suit him last time and Ryan Moore wasn’t too hard on him once his chance had gone.

“The horse (Kamsin) that ran second and was promoted to first has since gone on to win another Group One so the form isn’t that bad at all.”

A best-priced 25-1 for the Arc with Coral, Papal Bull has shown ability on a variety of surfaces but Stack is hoping for sound conditions at the Parisian track this weekend.

“We want goodish ground ideally but he is a good, hardy competitor and he has run well on soft ground before too,” he added.

“Michael is happy with him and he is an intended runner.”

Papal Bull is a best-priced 25-1 with Coral for the Arc with Alain de Royer-Dupre’s unbeaten filly Zarkava a general 7-4 market leader.

Aidan O’Brien says Duke Of Marmalade and Soldier Of Fortune are both on target for Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

The Duke – a five-time Group One winner this season – has an alternative engagement at Dundalk on Friday night.

But if the weather holds it looks like he’s set to join his stablemate in the Paris showpiece on Sunday.

O’Brien told The Racing Post: “The plan remains the same. Soldier Of Fortune and Duke Of Marmalade are being aimed at the Arc.

“We entered Duke Of Marmalade for the Dundalk race just in case the ground comes up soft at Longchamp later this week.”

O’Brien also has a strong team for the other big races on a mouthwatering weeekend of action in France.

He added: “Halfway To Heaven and You’resothrilling are likely to go for the Prix de l’Opera, Yeats will run in the Prix du Cadran while either Mastercraftsman or Rip Van Winkle will go for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

“Astronomer Royal and US Ranger may go for the Prix de la Foret, while Abraham Lincoln is a possible for the Prix de l’Abbaye.”

SILVER PIVOTAL can become the first filly to win the Winter Derby, the highlight not only of Lingfield’s excellent card on Saturday, but also the whole all-weather season.

The all-weather’s showpiece record has been almost exclusively contested by male horses to date – only five of the 136 runners in the ten runnings of the race have been fillies or mares, and there hasn’t been a single filly or mare in any of the last five renewals.

However, Silver Pivotal is shaping up into a genuinely top-class prospect. She has had only five races to date, but on her fourth career outing she beat Sir Michael Stoute’s Promising lead in a Listed race at York; the runner-up went on to be short-headed in a Group One event two outings later.

After that race, a crack at the Breeders Cup was mentioned, but Silver Pivotal did not return to the track until she made her all-weather debut in January. Racing off a somewhat lenient mark of 98 in a competitive handicap, she travelled strongly and won with quite a bit in hand, despite making her challenge against what is sometimes the unfavoured far rail in the home straight. Her draw in stall 14 may put some people off, but since January 2007 there have been 49 1m2f races with more than 12 runners at Lingfield and horses with a double-figure draw have won 22 of them, so clearly it is not an insurmountable problem. Jamie Spencer is booked, the Butler stable is in fine form, and everything looks set for a big run.

There is no shortage of credible opposition, with the Johnston pair of Dubai’s Touch and Zaham, Irish raider Red Maloney and Michael Jarvis’ impressive recent winner Philatelist heading the dangers. However, for those wanting to back one at longer odds, Alfresco might run better than the official figures would suggest. His career form figures at Lingfield read 62114112, and his most recent effort when staying on strongly over 1m behind Jack Sullivan received a major boost by the latter’s clear-cut Wolverhampton win. Alfresco’s own recent lacklustre run at Dunstall Park is best ignored – he was held up off a pedestrian pace, and in any event he had been below form on his two previous efforts at Wolverhampton. He shapes as if worth a try at this trip and might be worth backing each way, especially as George Baker, who this column has flagged up as having an outstanding record over Lingfield’s tricky 1m2f distance, booked for the first time.

The supporting card is excellent, as is now customary at this meeting. None of the ten declared for the Spring Cup (2.40) are rated over 100, but there are a couple of horses with the potential to be smart, and Tasdeer is the one that catches the eye most. He was a most impressive winner on his second juvenile start at Yarmouth, but then pulled too hard when upped in class in the Group Three Somerville Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket on his only subsequent start. His trainer Michael Jarvis is seldom far wrong if he thinks he has a Pattern race horse on his hands and his record at Lingfield is outstanding (40 wins from 179 runs and a profit of 93 points since the Polytrack was installed).

The other Listed race, the Hever Sprint Stakes, looks very tricky. Excusez Moi would undoubtedly be hard to beat if repeating his recent 6f form, but although he’s always had plenty of talent, he hasn’t always reproduced it on the racecourse, as his record of 3 wins from 31 runs suggests, and I’m not sure he’s the ideal short-odds punt. Matsunosuke is a horse who improved massively last season, and he was an emphatic winner of both his all-weather starts last year, but it remains to be seen if he will be ready to win at this level first time out (though the race should be run to suit with Maltese Falcon, Silver Prelude and Merlins Dancer likely to ensure a good pace). Overall this looks a race best watched for the future, because as well as Matsunosuke, Esteem Machine is another seasonal debutant who should be competitive in the top sprint handicaps later on.

The angle in the 7f handicap (2.10) could be to back Ceremonial Jade beforehand and then look to lay him in running. He is a strong-travelling horse who goes really well here (form at Lingfield reads 122312, excellent second in a 6f Listed race here last time) but on occasions he has not found quite as much as had seemed likely over 7f+ and he is likely to trade at pretty short odds turning for home given how well he usually travels.

Grande Caiman is a fairly confident selection to land the Cortaflex Handicap (4.20). Richard Hannon’s four-year-old provided an excellent example of what can go wrong when an inexperienced 7lb claimer is on board a hold-up horse. Everything went wrong for Charles Eddery at last time, and he suddenly found himself around ten lengths behind and facing an impossible task on the home turn. On Saturday Grande Caiman returns to Lingfield, where he’s four from four, and Richard Hughes takes over the reins. The horse is not straightforward, but that hasn’t stopped him at Lingfield so far, and he can regain the winning thread here despite facing a multitude of in-form rivals (including Polish Power, six lengths in front of him at Wolverhampton but previously comfortably held in second behind the selection over this course and distance). The presence of new course record holder John Terry, the visored Tilapia and Rationale make this the most interesting 1m4f handicap seen at Lingfield this season.

In the other races, Dudley Docker is worth an each-way interest in the finale (see Value Next Time below), whilst Bartercard is worth a chance to prove his promising Flat debut over 7f was no fluke in a competitive-looking 1m maiden (4.55).

It is a long way from Ascot to Santa Anita but John Gosden and Jimmy Fortune will doubtless be looking forward to the journey next month.

The duo have at least one true Breeders’ Cup contender in Raven’s Pass, while Rainbow View will also be popular if she makes the trip to California following their victories in Berkshire.

Gosden, who plied his trade stateside for a number of years, had warned that Raven’s Pass was being trained with America in mind and might not be quite at the top of his game for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

That view proved totally incorrect as the colt, running in the colours of Princess Haya for the first time, comprehensively reversed the form with old adversary Henrythenavigator.

The latter had proved too good on each of the three previous occasions the pair had met in the 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace and Sussex Stakes but he met his match this time.

Gosden said: “It all went wrong in the Guineas from the draw but he ran a blinder in the St James’s Palace.

“We knew this time we would be a little handier, that was the only plan – be handier.

“The plan is now to go to the Breeders’ Cup, whether that is for the Mile or the Classic we will have to see – he sees his races out much better now.

“He has been on the go since February, but he looks great in his coat.”

Rainbow View also dug deep to maintain her unbeaten record in the Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile and give Gosden and Fortune a notable double.

The Dynaformer filly had won her previous three starts on the bridle but Fantasia served it up to her at the furlong marker and Rainbow View responded in style for a two-and-a-half-length win.

Gosden added: “She’s not very big but she’s all heart – you find a lot of the very good ones are not big.”

Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes collected the biggest of all sales races as Soul City refused to give away the Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Million at the Curragh on Sunday.

The combination’s Penny’s Gift took the valuable event at Ascot on Friday with a late charge but it was forcing tactics from the front here aboard the French Group Three winner and 5-2 favourite.

He drifted from the rail as Akrisrun challenged up his inside but kept finding more to hold off Jim Bolger’s pair Gan Amhras and Intense Focus.

Hannon said: “There’s no reason why he would not go on and be a nice three-year-old.

“He’s one we could pack up this year and maybe have a go at the Guineas.”

Hannon then proceeded to dominate the Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Fillies Million – although Hughes was on the wrong one with Baileys Cacao finishing second to stablemate Minor Vamp.

Favourite Luminous Eyes threw down a determined challenge on the far side but she had no answer to the devastating turn of foot demonstrated by Minor Vamp (10-1) and Michael Kinane in the centre.

A thoroughly respectable third to Rainbow View at Newmarket 50 days ago, she settled the event very quickly, despite a late effort from 9-1 chance Baileys Cacao.

Sea The Stars (7-4) came out on top in a closely-fought renewal of the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes.

Trainer John Oxx, who won this race in 2002 and 2003 with the brilliant pair Alamshar and Azamour, also saddled another leading contender in Mourayan.

But Kinane picked the right one and exuded confidence aboard Sea The Stars.

The half-brother to Galileo took a little while to assert himself once hitting the front, but was in command in the final furlong and had half a length in reserve of Mourayan for a stable one-two.

Bookmakers had mixed reactions on the winner for next year’s Derby. He is 12-1 from 20s with Paddy Power, now 14-1 with William Hill – but 20s with VC Bet.

Nearly-horse King’s Apostle picked the perfect moment to start winning again in the Group Two John Guest Diadem Stakes at Ascot, while Sixties Icon overcame a sluggish start to take the Grosvenor Casinos Cumberland Lodge Stakes.

Peter Chapple-Hyam challenged Winker Watson to bounce back from a disappointing display at Newmarket when he takes his chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The Piccolo colt appeared to have the world at his feet after an unbeaten juvenile campaign – but a number of minor setbacks meant he did not return to the track until July.

Peter Chapple-Hyam’s colt was well held on his return in the Prix Jean Prat and, having finished fourth in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood next time, was a beaten favourite in a Listed event on his latest outing.

“Winker Watson is in great form but he faces a stiff task at the weekend, obviously,” said Chapple-Hyam.

“I was quite disappointed with him at Newmarket but in my heart of hearts, I knew he wasn’t really a sprinter.

“I’m sure he gets the mile, but he just comes up slightly short against the best.

“I’m very happy with him, though, so we will see how he gets on.”

Trainers Paul Cole and Jim Bolger are out to retain their hold on the Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Millions races at the Curragh on Sunday.

A dozen British horses will travel across the Irish Sea for a cut of the riches and Whatcombe handler Cole was successful in the colts’ event last year through Luck Money.

He saddles the unbeaten Cruikadyke in the same race and Stan’s Cool Cat in the fillies’ event.

Cole said: “Winning the Goffs Million last year was fantastic, as the huge prize money provides a great deal of excitement.

“All the connections had a wonderful day at the Curragh and hopefully Sunday will be just as exciting.

“Cruikadyke is a bit of an unknown quantity but we are hoping that he will be finishing in the first half of the field.

“Stan’s Cool Cat is a nice filly having won a maiden but there are some very nice fillies in the race this year.”

Bolger’s Lush Lashes collected the fillies’ event 12 months ago and progressed to take three Group Ones.

The County Carlow maestro has a decent entry across the two races including Intense Focus, runner-up in the Coventry Stakes back in June.

He said: “My five horses are heading to the Curragh on Sunday in top form.

“Intense Focus ran a very good race at Ascot when he was second in the Coventry but he didn’t particularity like the heavy ground last time out in the National Stakes at the Curragh. We are very much looking forward to Sunday’s races.”

Also mob-handed is the master of the sales race, Richard Hannon.

“We’ve got three in the fillies’ race and one in the colts,” he said.

“Soul City has been a great campaigner and has done nothing wrong this season.

“The three fillies – Baileys Cacao, Minor Vamp and Fanditha all have a chance too and we go there with a pretty good chance of bringing back a few quid.”