Sulamani can bounce back from a subpar performance in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud to take a star-studded renewal of the $1.2 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The winner in March of the Dubai Sheema Classic over his Saint-Cloud conqueror Ange Gabriel, Sulamani is reported to be in top shape by Simon Crisford, racing manager for owner Godolphin. Frankie Dettori will have the ride aboard Sulamani, last year's French Derby winner, who will appreciate every drop of rain that is predicted to fall at Ascot on Friday.

Anyone who plans to have a go at the this weekend should hold off until the result of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes is known on Saturday morning.

Five of the 23 horses that appear on the BC Turf list are scheduled to run in the Group 1, 1 1/2-mile race at Ascot, with post time set for 10:50 a.m. EDT. They are: Epsom Derby winner Kris Kin, Irish Derby winner Alamshar, Eclipse Stakes winner Falbrav, Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Nayef, and Dubai Sheema Classic winner Sulamani.

Vespone, the winner of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris for trainer Nicolas Clement on June 22, has been bought by Godolphin. A 3-year-old Irish-bred son of Llandaff, Vespone was previously owned by Ecurie Mister Ess A S. He had preceded his Grand Prix de Paris victory with tallies in the Group 3 Prix La Force and the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat. The winner of 4 of 6 lifetime races, Vespone will be leaving Clement's yard in Chantilly for the Newmarket stable of Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

The Japan Racing Association has announced a bonus plan that would award the winners of either the Japan Cup or the Japan Cup Dirt up to $1 million if they can precede that victory with a score this year in any one of 19 selected races.

NEW YORK - "Seabiscuit" fever is spreading across the nation as the film about the bandylegged little champion is readied for national release on Friday.

Rakti's trip to the Arlington Million has been canceled, because it was discovered that the 4-year-old suffered an injury when he finished second to Nayef in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Trained by Michael Jarvis for Gary Tanaka, Rakti had won the 1 1/4-mile Group 1 Premio Presidente della Repubblica in May. Jarvis said that Rakti would not run again until the autumn.

Vintage Tipple posted a 12-1 upset over a strong field of 3-year-old fillies in the Group 1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh, defeating the 33-1 L'Ancresse by 1 1/2 lengths. Will Farish's English Oaks winner, Casual Look, finished third with the 3-1 favorite and English Oaks runner-up Yesterday fourth.

* At Deauville, Domedriver failed for the third time since his Breeders' Cup Mile victory last October, finishing fifth behind Special Kaldoun in the one-mile Group 3 Prix Messidor.

Choisir, Australia's two-time Royal Ascot sprint winner, has been retired after being sold to Coolmore Stud for a price believed in the neighborhood of 10 million pounds ($16.3 million).

A 4-year-old son of Danehill Dancer, Choisir is in quarantine in Newmarket following his second-place finish to Oasis Dream in Thursday's Group 1 July Cup. He will soon be headed back to Australia, where he will stand the newly begun Southern Hemisphere season at Coolmore's Hunter Valley Studs.

America's ambassador to Britain will travel to Ireland on Saturday in hopes that his filly Casual Look can bring him a classic double in the Irish Oaks at The Curragh.

Will Farish, America's man in London, began what is developing into a banner international season on June 6, when Casual Look won the English Oaks at Epsom over Yesterday. A homebred daughter of Red Ransom, Casual Look will attempt to become the first filly to pull off the English-Irish Oaks double since Ramruma in 1999.

Choisir was denied a third consecutive British sprint prize on Thursday when Oasis Dream outdueled him in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket.