George Duffield substitutes for Michael Kinane on Giant's Causeway in today's Eclipse, and the Irish champion jockey will have to pass a medical check-up if he is to ride at next week's July meeting at Newmarket.
Kinane phoned the Turf Club's medical officer yesterday to rule himself out of the Eclipse but is confident he will be fit to return to the saddle in a few days. Kinane aggravated a back injury at the Curragh last Saturday.
Dr Walter Halley said yesterday: "Michael told me he felt he needed to be 110 per cent fit to ride in the Eclipse and he isn't totally match fit. He needs more time and we'll see how he is in a few days time."
Meanwhile, the enigmatic Bernstein is being lined up to lead a strong Ballydoyle raid on next week's July meeting at Newmarket.
Bernstein hasn't run since finishing last in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas but the highly-touted colt is rated a 10 to 1 shot by Coral ahead of next Thursday's Darley July Cup.
"I think Bernstein just didn't stay the mile in the Guineas and we've been very happy with him recently. He's a possible runner in the July Cup and we also have Monashee Mountain and Rossini in the race, so we could have more than one runner," said O'Brien yesterday.
The Ballydoyle trainer won the July Cup with Stravinsky last year and, like that horse, Bernstein was a hugely hyped two-year-old that failed to make the grade over a mile.
The O'Brien string made a big impact on the big two-year-old races at Newmarket in 1999 and they're set to do the same this time, with the Leopardstown Listed winner Pirate Of Penzance representing the team in the Group Three July Stakes.
"Bonnard, who won at Fairyhouse despite getting upset in the stalls, could run in the Listed race that Thady Quill won last year (Superlative Stakes) and we have a few others entered too, including Little Firefly in the Cherry Hinton," O'Brien said.
The Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up Amethyst holds a Falmouth Stakes entry but O'Brien reported yesterday: "She's in that race but she could run in the Irish Oaks instead. Chiang-Mai is another Irish Oaks possible, although she does need an ease in the ground."
