Promising Lead, the ante-post favourite for the Blue Square Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday, has suffered a setback and will miss the race.The four-year-old, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, was an impressive winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on her latest start, but injured a knee in a routine piece of work on Saturday.

Promising Lead will instead be aimed at the Yorkshire Oaks - already nominated as the target for the likes of Look Here, Moonstone and Michita. “She just tweaked a knee after she worked so well on Saturday,” Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Prince Khaled Abdulla, said yesterday.

“It doesn't look like it will keep her out for long, or that it is anything serious, but there is a little bit of heat there. We have decided not to risk her and she will go straight to York for the Yorkshire Oaks now.”

William Hill have opened a book on the top jockey at the meeting and make Johnny Murtagh the 11-8 favourite. They then bet: 6-4 Ryan Moore, 9-2 Frankie Dettori, 14-1 Jimmy Fortune, 16-1 others.

The same firm make Mark Johnston 4-1 to be top trainer, with Aidan O'Brien next best at 9-2.

Meanwhile, Montmartre, favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is a doubtful runner. The three-year-old was an impressive winner of the Grand Prix de Paris this month, but Alain de Royer-Dupré, his trainer, said yesterday: “He came back stiff and his chances of running in the Arc are compromised.”

However, Royer-Dupré’s yard still houses the Arc favourite in the shape of his unbeaten filly, Zarkava. Ladbrokes make her their 7-2 favourite.