FOREX-Dollar dips after hitting new high on rates play

* Dollar index touches 3-mth peak, euro/dollar near 3-mth low

* Dollar/yen seen capped under 125 yen for time being

* Aussie central bank calls for more weakness (Recasts, changes dateline from previous TOKYO)

By Patrick Graham

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - The dollar slipped on Tuesday after renewed expectations for rising U.S. interest rates drove it to a five-week high against the yen and a three-month peak against a basket of currencies.

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard's prediction on Monday that the Federal Reserve was likely to raise rates in September pushed the U.S. currency higher in Asian trade.

But commodity-linked currencies like the Canadian, New (KOSDAQ: 160550.KQ - news) Zealand and Australian dollars showed more stability, after losing ground as the dollar rallied this month.

The euro also rose 0.4 percent to $1.0864, in the middle of a range it has held since late last week. It is still down almost five percent in the past month.

"It just looks like a bit of a pause today," said a dealer with one international bank in London. "After weeks of obsessing about Greece, the debate has definitely turned back to interest rates and economic fundamentals, but we are facing the summer lull now. I think that is keeping volumes lower."

Gold prices stabilised after dropping on Monday, helping the commodity-linked currencies. But minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest meeting called for more declines in an Aussie dollar already at its lowest in six years.

"They are not getting the benefits yet of the weakness we have already seen in the Aussie and they're still calling for more," said Ian Stannard, head of European FX strategy at Morgan Stanley (Shenzhen: 002588.SZ - news) in London.

The RBA line differed from New Zealand's, where Prime Minister John Key offered the currency some verbal support on Monday, and the Aussie's flat performance at $0.7374 contrasted with a half a percent rise in the kiwi to $0.6605.

Sterling, the other currency to gain from expectations interest rates will rise soon, was flat against the dollar but 0.4 percent down against the euro. Attention was shifting to Wednesday's Bank of England minutes, which analysts think may show some policymakers moving towards raising rates around the end of this year or early next.

There are contradictions in all of these positions. If the euro is to remain weak against the dollar, it will be because of loose monetary policy aimed at propping up an economy still struggling for growth. Yet that should hurt the UK.

Likewise, the weakness of the Aussie, Kiwi and other currencies that depend on commodity prices for direction is due in large part to a slowdown in China -- which should also have an effect on the U.S. economy.

The dollar was steady at 124.37 yen, having hit a five-week high of 124.48 late in the Asian session. The dollar index against a basket of currencies dipped 0.2 percent to 97.823 after extending this week's three-month peak to 98.151. (Additional reporting by Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Larry King)