Trojan Warrior will have opportunities in the early part of the new season to further establish himself in the best of company.

The rising five-year-old hit top gear toward the end of his last campaign to vindicate the opinion of his Cambridge trainer and part-owner Anne Herbert.

“I’ve always said that he had the potential to be the best horse we’ve got,” she said.

“He’s had a few little issues along the way and he’s been slow both mentally and physically to develop.”

Trojan Warrior was a Rating 75 winner over ground in January and weighed in at three of his next four starts before he split Maygrove and King Kamada when runner-up in the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup.

He then stepped up to the big time in the Gr.1 Easter Stakes and failed by only a head to hold off Sound Proposition.

“He had five weeks off after that,” Herbert said.

“He put on weight and did really well, we’re very pleased with him.

“He’s coming up well again after being back in work for a month. We’re getting him ready for Hastings, but without pushing him.”

Herbert said their focus would be on the last two legs of the Triple Crown series, the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate on September 17 and the Gr.1 Livamol Classic on October 1.

“We’ve always thought he would go over more ground, but until now he’s been a bit weak,” Herbert said. “You would think as a five-year-old he should be at his best.”