Domedriver and Where or When head a high-class renewal of Saturday's Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, the scene of the first of seven Group 1 miles for older horses on the European calendar.

Winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile, Domedriver was a bit short when he finished second by a neck to Dandoun in the Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud on May 1. Trained by Pascal Bary, he will have a conditioning edge over Where or When, who will be making his first start since taking the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Sept. 28.

Magistretti ran down the front-running Tuning Fork in the final strides at York Wednesday to take the Group 2 Dante Stakes, England's premier prep for the Epsom Derby.

But like two recent Derby prep winners, Dutch Gold and Kris Kin, Magistretti, a Kentucky-bred son of Diesis, may not line up at Epsom on June 7 as his owner, Michael Tabor, already has a number of probables for the Derby with Aidan O'Brien.

Magistretti came from last to first to win by a half-length at 8-1 under Kevin Darley, catching recent maiden winner Tuning Fork.

Aidan O'Brien said Tuesday that High Chaparral will not run in either the Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 6 or at Royal Ascot two weeks later. A persistent shoulder problem is expected to keep High Chaparral, winner of last year's Epsom Derby, Irish Derby, and Breeders' Cup Turf, out of action until July.

* Cassis sprung a 16-1 upset in the Musidora Stakes at York on Tuesday, coming from last to first in an eight-runner field to land the Group 3 prep for the English Oaks.

Magistretti and Dunhill Star will renew their rivalry at York on Wednesday in the Group 2 Dante Stakes, traditionally the key prep for the Epsom Derby.

Those two were separated by just a head in the 1 1/8-mile listed Feilden Stakes on April 17 at Newmarket and should be battling it out again in the Dante, run at a distance of 1 1/4 miles, 85 yards.

Christophe Soumillon rode three Group 1 winners at Longchamp on Sunday - aboard Dalakhani in the Prix Lupin, Clodovil in the French 2000 Guineas, and Musical Chimes in the French 1000 Guineas.

Soumillon's feat matched that of Johnny Murtagh on Arc Day 2000, when Murtagh rode Sinndar, Petrushka, and Namid to win the Arc, the Prix de l'Opera, and the Prix de l'Abbaye.

Dalakhani and Super Celebre are scheduled to meet the leading French Derby candidates of Aidan O'Brien and Saeed bin Suroor in an outstanding renewal of the Group 1 Prix Lupin at Longchamp on Sunday.

But the undefeated Dalakhani, winner of the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe on April 20, may skip the Lupin if rain does not keep the ground at least good to soft.

Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre has warned that Dalakhani, a half-brother to Daylami, will go straight to the Prix du Jockey-Club at Chantilly on June 1 if he is not satisfied with the going.

In 1992, English soccer made a radical break with the past by establishing the Premiership, an elite league that would ultimately enable England to keep pace with the rest of Europe, particularly Spain and Italy, in the increasingly cutthroat world of professional soccer on the international level.

Now British horse racing is embarking on a similar plan designed to meet what the British Horseracing Board sees as the requirements of the sport in the 21st century.

Coroner earned his way into the French Derby with a victory in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart at Longchamp on Thursday, but just barely.

The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Coroner held on by a short head and a neck from Touch of Land and Risk Seeker in the Hocquart, a 1 1/2-mile prep for the June 1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby). Coroner (3-1) was timed in 2:35.80 on soft ground.

Dutch Gold led throughout under Frankie Dettori to score a mild 6-1 upset in the Group 3 Chester Vase at Chester Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on Tuesday.

Trained by Clive Brittain, Dutch Gold, a Kentucky-bred son of Lahib, was a handy six-length winner over Summerland in the Chester Vase, a 1 1/2-mile, 66-yard Epsom Derby prep. Risk Taker, the 6-5 choice, was third in the four-runner field, 11 lengths behind the winner, who was timed in 2:35.85 on good ground.

DUBLIN - In Irish racing circles, Dermot Weld is held in high esteem, admired for both his training skills and his decency, so the pints of beer flowed freely in Dublin when his colt Refuse to Bend won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last Saturday, a victory especially to be savored because Weld snatched it from the English on their home ground.