MUBTAKER continues to show what an improved horse he is and he put up a convincing display to land the Coral September Stakes at Kempton under Richard Hills.

The six-year-old appears to be getting better with age and skipped away from his four rivals to take the Group Three contest.

He scored by an easy five lengths from First Charter, who had attempted to bustle up the winner by disputing the advantage but had no more to give when the favourite edged ahead on the home turn.

Trainer Marcus Tregoning is now set to aim his charge at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp and hopes that one of his favourite horses will be up to the challenge.

''He is certainly one of the toughest horses I have ever trained, but he is lightly raced and he will go on next year,'' Tregoning said.

''We'll see how the race pans out and what everybody else decides to run before we make our minds up about the Arc.

''I am no expert on the race but this is a good horse and I think he would run well in the race, providing the ground wasn't bottomless.

''He has won on heavy ground but when it does rain there it can be very, very testing by the time the Arc is run and I wouldn't be sure about him on that.

''I have trained Silver Hawks who have gone on any ground - Albarahin won the Prix Dollar on very soft ground at the Arc meeting.''

Bookmakers William Hill and Victor Chandler both cut his price for the French spectacular from 16-1 to 12-1.

In the past, Mubtaker has to some extent lived in the shadow of stablemate, Nayef.

He has gone out to Dubai for the previous two winters in order to act as Nayef's lead horse in his preparations for the World Cup meeting.

''He trained Nayef to win the Sheema Classic last year - there is no doubt about that,'' said Tregoning.

''He is such a reliable yardstick. He is very easy to train and a lovely character.

''He can be ridden from the front or the back, and I think he has got a lot of class.

''He is so lightly raced that he could easily still be improving at six.

''If we don't go to France then the alternative would be the Canadian International, which Mutamam won after winning this race a couple of years ago.''

Tregoning completed a double when Snow Ridge made a winning debut in the Coral Fantasy 4-4-2 Conditions Stakes.

The choicely-bred colt, by Indian Ridge out of Snow Princess, comfortably accounted for 4-9 favourite Iqte Saab.

Victor Chandler reacted quickly to the winner's performance in installing him at 25-1 for the 2000 Guineas.

Another trainer set to break new ground is Hughie Morrison, who hopes to have his first two-year-old runner in a Group One race when Pastoral Pursuits contests the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in October.

The son of Bahamian Bounty, who himself won the Middle Park in 1996, showed just what a speedy performer he is as he streaked away with the Coral Sirenia Stakes to extend his winning sequence to three.

At the line, the 11-10 favourite had two lengths in hand of Diosypros Blue, who stayed on take second place a neck ahead of Cartography.