Thursday's Group 3 Craven Stakes, a Newmarket course-and-distance prep for the classic 2000 Guineas on May 6, will be run amidst swirls of speculation that all is not well with the Guineas favorite, Teofilo.

British bookies briefly suspended Guineas betting on Monday as rumors circulated that Teofilo, the 2006 European juvenile champ, had suffered a setback. His trainer, Jim Bolger, admitted as much on Tuesday, and while Bolger was not specific about the cause, he did say that his Dewhurst Stakes winner would be limited to walking and swimming for a week.

Victory overcame his very wide number 17 draw at Nakayama on Sunday to score a 16-1 upset in the $1.97 million Satsuki Sho, or Japanese 2000 Guineas, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown.

Sander Camillo will risk her favorite's role for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Wednesday when she will be a short-priced choice in the Group 3, $99,000 Nell Gwyn Stakes.

Silver Birch surprised 39 rivals in the $1.38 million Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree on Saturday, as the 33-1 shot held off the late challenge of Mckelvey in the 4-1/2-mile marathon.

Jean-Claude Rouget, successful with US Ranger in Wednesday's Prix Djebel, sends out another classic candidate, Battle Paint, in Sunday's Group 3, $108,000 Prix de Fontainebleau, The race is a one-mile course-and-distance Longchamp prep for the French 2000 Guineas.

Dream Journey's title as Japan's 2-year-old champion may not do him much good in Sunday's $1.97 million Satsuki Sho, or Japanese 2000 Guineas, at Nakayama, where he will be challenged by the fast-improving Admire Aura.

The last two winners of the the Grand National Steeplechase, Numbersixvalverde and Hedgehunter, meet again in Saturday's $1.38 million renewal at Aintree, but the 4 1/2-mile test over 30 of the world's most demanding fences is a wide-open, 40-runner affair in which the favorite, Joe's Edge, could go off as high as 9-1.

It was "Made in America Day" at Maisons-Laffitte on Wednesday, as Kentucky-breds US Ranger and Magic America stormed to victory in their Guineas preps.

Daiwa Scarlet held off the late challenge of the 2-5 favorite, Vodka, at Hanshin on Sunday to win the $1.75 million Oka Sho, or Japanese 1000 Guineas.

An Agnes Tachyon half-sister to three-time Grade 1 winner Daiwa Major, the 4.90-1 Daiwa Scarlet prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths. She traveled the mile under Katsumi Ando on firm ground in 1:33.70, just .20 of a second off the stakes record of Rhein Kraft in 2005 when Cesario was a head second, and just .10 of a second off the time of Dance in the Mood, who won the race in 2004.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien experienced mixed fortunes over the weekend as his Soldier of Fortune landed the Group 2, $173,000 Prix Noailles at Longchamp on Sunday, a day after O'Brien was shut out of both the 1000 and 2000 Guineas Trials at Leopardstown.