Wet weather is threatening to ruin leading owner Khaled Abdullah`s attempt to secure the two Group One prizes on Champions` Day at Newmarket.
Abdullah has designs on the Dubai Champion Stakes with Distant Music while he has a possible double-pronged attack on the Darley Dewhurst Stakes with Endless Summer and Vacamonte.
But soft ground at `headquarters` could see all three colts being absent on Saturday.
Vacamonte, trained by Henry Cecil, is seeking to restore his reputation after a baffling flop when long odds-on for Sandown`s Solario Stakes.
'Nothing has come to light to explain that run - you certainly couldn`t say it was anything to do with the ground,' said Abdullah`s racing manager Teddy Beckett.
'He is in good form now and has won on good to soft but if there was a great deal more rain there would be a doubt about him running.
'There are no alternatives if he does miss the Dewhurst but that`s not so bad. He will get plenty of opportunities next year.'
Endless Summer, in the care of John Gosden, has thrived on fast ground.
The colt again ran well when second to Minardi in the Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs of the Newmarket course.
But Beckett said: 'He really doesn`t want it soft and a decision on his participation will be taken overnight.'
At present Distant Music is likely to take his chance against Montjeu and the rest in the Dubai Champion Stakes.
But Beckett admitted a worsening of the ground could force a rethink over the Barry Hills-trained colt.
On his first outing since disappointing when favourite for the 2000 Guineas, Distant Music defeated Valentino in a Group Three event at Doncaster.
He faces a far sterner task when stepping back into Group One company on Saturday.
In addition Distant Music will be running over further than one mile for the first time.
'We wouldn`t just run him for fun,' said Beckett. 'He has Nijinsky on his dam`s side and there must be every chance of him staying one and a quarter miles.
'We`re not worried about the presence of Montjeu in the race. There`s plenty of others prepared to take him on and anyway you should only worry about your own horse.'
Clerk of the course Nick Lees today reported that ground conditions continue to ease for Newmarket`s three-day meeting starting tomorrow.
The official going is now soft following further rain overnight and this morning.
Lees said: 'The going is soft. We only had 5mm of rain overnight but it is still raining lightly now.
'The forecast for this afternoon was for it to be bright, although there is no sign of that at the moment, and the trouble is that there is the risk of rain at any time.'
