MICHAEL DODS will walk the course at Longchamp tomorrow before deciding whether to let star sprinter Mecca’s Angel take her chance in Sunday’s Prix de l’Abbaye.

Having claimed the biggest win of her career when she trounced a top-class field to land the Nunthorpe Stakes at York, Mecca’s Angel has spent most of the autumn as the ante-post favourite for the Abbaye.

She has been sparkling in training at Dods’ Denton Hall base, but this week’s drying conditions in Paris have raised doubts about her participation in Sunday’s sprint spectacular.

Mecca’s Angel is at her best with some cut underfoot, and while the ground at Longchamp is currently described as ‘good’, Dods wants to see conditions for himself before making a final decision on whether the David Metcalfe-owned filly will run.

“It’s touch and go, and we won’t decide until I’ve got over there and had the chance to walk on the course,” said Dods. “We’re struggling a bit with the ground.

“When the French call their ground good to soft, that’s generally our good. So when they say the ground’s good, that’s getting towards good to firm.

“They’ve said there’s a chance they could get a few showers on Saturday, and that would obviously help.

“The problem is that she’s a different horse depending on the ground. As the run at York proved, when she has her conditions, she’s very good. But if she hasn’t got her conditions, then she’s not the same filly.

“She showed that when she ran in Ireland (in the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh). If the ground was to be better than it was in Ireland, we’d probably let her take her chance. But if it was the same ground as in Ireland, we’d be much more reluctant to race.”

To further complicate matters, Mecca’s Angel received a dreadful draw today when she was handed stall 19 out of 19. Running on the wide outside means she could struggle to get a position in the early stages, with the field expected to plot towards the inside rail before the final furlong.

Having already confirmed his intention to keep Mecca’s Angel in training next season, Dods is determined not to do anything that might damage the four-year-old’s prospects in the future.

However, having seen off the majority of Sunday’s opponents in Nunthorpe, the County Durham trainer is also aware that he stands on the brink of a potentially career-defining triumph.

“It would cap a remarkable season if she could do it,” said Dods, who has already put away his other star sprinter, Easton Angel, for the winter. “She ran brilliantly at York, when quite a few of the same horses were up against her.

“It’s a sharp five furlongs at Longchamp, which suits her, and she’s run there before and broken the track record so she’s shown she can handle the travelling and everything like that.

“It’s just a shame we’re sat here talking about the ground and whether that might scupper things for her. You wouldn’t expect that in October, but there hasn’t been a lot of rain and unless that changes, it’s a concern.”

Mecca’s Angel will be partnered by Paul Mulrennan if she runs at the weekend, with Dods’ other stable jockey, Connor Beasley, continuing to improve after the sickening fall at Wolverhampton that left him nursing a fractured skull and spine, and an injured neck.

Beasley, who is still wearing a full body brace that severely restricts his movement, has been a regular visitor to Denton Hall since suffering his injuries in July, and Dods has paid tribute to all those who supported the Just Giving page set up to support the Spennymoor-based rider.

Paul Gaffney, who owns a number of horses with Dods and whose company, Cosyseal Racing, sponsored Beasley in his apprentice days, was the driving force behind the donation page, which has now been closed after raising more than £15,000.

“It’s a fantastic gesture, and I know Connor really appreciates all the support that people have been showing,” said Dods. “He should be getting his body brace off pretty soon, hopefully within the next week. It’s great to see him on the mend.”