Fruits Of Love will need to pass his final fitness test tomorrow before being confirmed a runner in the Breeders` Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Saturday week, it emerged today.
'Fruits Of Love will have another spin in the morning and if all goes well he`ll go out on Monday,' said the horse`s trainer Mark Johnston.
Earlier this season Fruits Of Love returned from a career-threatening injury to gain a second successive victory in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot but has been beset with problems since.
The entire missed the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes after knocking his hock while swimming during the build-up to the big race.
He recovered to finish third in a German Group One contest in September on unsuitably heavy ground.
Johnston then aimed Fruits Of Love at the Canadian International at Woodbine but his injury jinx struck again when the horse suffered from the metabolic disorder set-fast.
Fruits Of Love missed the Canadian race and the Middleham trainer has since been preparing the son of Hansel for a crack at the Breeders` Cup.
Fruits Of Love, who will be ridden by Olivier Peslier in America, is a 16-1 chance with William Hill for the Turf.
'All his blood levels are OK,' Johnston said. 'It`s just that the treatment for set-fast requires cut backs in exercise and feed and the horse lost a lot of condition.
'He has put on weight and has regained some of the muscle he lost.
'The Turf is a very, very hot race. The Canadian race was his race - he had beaten the horse (Mutafaweq) that won at Royal Ascot.
'I don`t know what brought about the condition but the horses have been affected with set-fast on and off since March.
'I don`t know what causes it but for the first time in 12 years I`m having to supplement the horses` feed with potassium and calcium.
'Despite everything we have had a record season which is amazing.'
Johnston has sent out 125 domestic winners from his Kingsley House stables this year and he is hoping Gaelic Storm will give him an Irish success in the Dept. Of Agriculture Centenary EBF Handicap at Leopardstown on Saturday.
'Gaelic Storm was one of the first to get set-fast in March but he`s really in the groove now and runs at Leopardstown on Saturday,' Johnston added.
