Teeton Mill himself had already trotted up in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury. Mary Reveley, his trainer, may run the progressive six-year-old in the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase at Doncaster on 29 January for which he has been allotted 11st 13lb.Docksider has been retired to stallion duties at the Airlie Stud near the Curragh. Docksider was narrowly beaten in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Gulfstream Park, before winning the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.. IT IS not always easy to pinpoint the moment when a trainer stops being "up-and-coming" and starts being a leading member of the profession. Some make the transition through sheer durability, by sticking around long enough, and sending out just enough good winners But not Venetia Williams. The stand-by all-weather fixture for Southwell on Tuesday will not now be utilised.

Potential stand-by meetings at Wolverhampton on Thursday, 30 December and Lingfield on Friday, 31 December will be considered after weather forecasts tomorrow and on Monday respectively. Brother Of Iris, a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender, is recovering from the setback that forced him to miss Ascot the Tote Silver Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot on Saturday. WETHERBY ANTICIPATE no problems for their two-day Christmas meeting, which starts on 27 December and features the Castleford Limited Handicap Chase over two miles for which Direct Route is top weight. If he does rule himself out, Sammy McIlroy, the Macclesfield manager, would then become the new favourite.However, the IFA may baulk at Macclesfield's compensation demands and McIlroy has 18 months left on his pounds 90,000-a-year contract.. That has not been possible and now it is my hope that we will be able to call a meeting of the international committee for the first week of January.

There, myself and general secretary David Bowen will report on each candidate to the committee members before they make the final decision."O'Neill, who captained Northern Ireland in the 1982 World Cup finals, would be hugely popular with the Irish fans. It is understood that O'Neill has hinted he might do the job part-time and he has a clause in his Leicester contract that would enable him to accept the job. It is believed O'Neill will make a decision over Christmas.Boyce refused to discuss the possible candidates and instead would only comment on the timetable for the appointment. He said: "It had been hoped that an appointment would be made before Christmas. Jim Boyce, the Irish Football Association president, hopes to be able to call a meeting of the international committee in the first week of the New Year at which Lawrie McMenemy's successor will be chosen.The IFA had hoped to have their man before Christmas and it is understood they are still waiting for Martin O'Neill, the Leicester manager, to rule himself out. However, a positive verdict was delivered yesterday morning meaning Rafael will be able to be paraded as a Celtic player after the Scottish Premier League's winter break, which the Glasgow club will spend in Portugal.The case for a work permit was undermined by Rafael's failure to have played in 75 per cent of his country's internationals during the past two years.