AIDAN O'Brien has nominated Saxon Warrior and The Pentagon as his likely runners in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday, when he could attempt to break the late Bobby Frankel's record for number of Group 1 wins in a year.

The Ballydoyle handler drew level on 25 at Ascot on Saturday, as Hydrangea won the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

"We are thinking about running The Pentagon and Saxon Warrior in the Racing Post Trophy," said O'Brien, whose colts both feature prominently in the ante-post markets on the Investec Derby.

"In France next Sunday, we could run Threeandfourpence over seven furlongs (Criterium International), and over a mile and a quarter (Criterium de Saint-Cloud) maybe Nelson, Kew Gardens and Delano Roosevelt.

"Plans are all very fluid and we will decide during the week."

He added of his Australian running arrangements: "Lloyd (Williams, owner) is thinking of running Johannes Vermeer in the Melbourne Cup. I don't think he'll be going for the Cox Plate (on Saturday) and if he runs again there it will be the Melbourne Cup.

"Taj Mahal is in the Cox Plate and it will be decided early this week whether he will run."

STAYING IN TRAINING

O'Brien also confirmed Long Distance Cup winner Order Of St George will stay in training, while Ryan Moore has advised Hydrangea stays on as a four-year-old given her versatility.

"She's an amazing filly, she beat Winter in a Guineas trial over seven furlongs and to do that yesterday over a mile and a half was something else," said O'Brien.

"We weren't sure she'd stay, Wayne (Lordan) and Seamus (Heffernan) thought she would and it was Ryan's idea to run as he thought she would.

"I think the lads will think about it (staying in training), I was speaking to Ryan about it and he said we should keep her in training because she could run in anything from a mile to a mile and a half, hopefully we'll keep her.

"Order Of St George will hopefully stay in training next year. Some days it can take him a little while to get going and that's what we saw a few times that he got beat. It looked like he might only finish third over a furlong out, but then he took off."

BREEDERS' CUP

Highland Reel set himself up for the defence of his Breeders' Cup Turf crown with a meritorious run in defeat in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Aidan O'Brien's globetrotter finished third to Cracksman on unsuitably soft ground, but conditions are expected to be far more in his favour at Del Mar on November 4.

O'Brien was satisfied with the run, particularly as Highland Reel covered more ground than his rivals as jockey Ryan Moore looked for better ground down the far side.

"We were delighted with his run. He has been off a long time and he is not a soft-ground horse, but we were over the moon with his run," said O'Brien.

"That (America) is what we would be thinking about. It was the only place we could get a little bit better ground, by going over the far side."