Elm Park will put his Investec Derby credentials on the line in a red-hot renewal of the Betfred Dante Stakes at York on Thursday - with trainer Andrew Balding believing his runner can have a "big impact" on the premier Classic.
The Racing Post Trophy winner missed his intended return to action in the Qipco 2000 Guineas as the ground was deemed to be too fast, but featured among several fancied Classic contenders for the Knavesmire trial at the final declaration stage.
Balding said: "I am very happy with Elm Park. It has been a bit tricky as he was at his peak ready to run in the Guineas, but the main thing is the horse has to run in a trial and get his season going."
He added: "Whatever he does at York, I think he will come on for the run. If he performs up to our expectations at York, I think he can have a big impact on the Derby.
"From the spring of his two-year-old season, he was going very well and when he had his first run as at Sandown in July, we thought he would run well. He just showed his inexperience that day, but when the penny dropped it took David Probert virtually to the railway fences to pull him up!
"After his debut, the rest of last season is history. He had to dig deep when he won the Royal Lodge at Newmarket, as he was still quite inexperienced and had to cope with quicker ground.
"The form seems to have been franked from most of the races he ran in last year and there is enough collateral form to point to Elm Park being a high-class horse.
"His trial at York will tell us more. If all of the horses at York run up to expectations, it is going to be a very competitive race.
"There does not appear to have been anything overwhelming from the trials so far. There is very often a horse you notice that was staying on in the Guineas but there doesn't seem to be anything from that race this year. It seems everyone is turning up at York.
"We declared on good ground for York and while the rain that was forecast doesn't look set to arrive now, I'd be amazed if they allowed it to get rattling fast."
Jack Hobbs, ante-post favourite for Epsom, is another of several highly-rated horses testing their big-race claims.
John Gosden's colt is taking a big jump in class, having won a maiden and, most recently, a handicap in convincing fashion,
The Newmarket handler has a second string to his bow in Golden Horn, who is also unbeaten, having made a winning reappearance in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket last month.
Both of Aidan O'Brien's two runners, John F Kennedy and Ol' Man River, must redeem their reputations.
Ol' Man River was tailed off in the Guineas, won by his stable companion Gleneagles, after being heavily eased down by Joseph O'Brien.
John F Kennedy was deposed as Derby favourite after he became stuck in the testing conditions when a well-beaten last of three to Success Days in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Barry Hills-trained Nafaqa waited for the Dante after being a late withdrawal from last week's Dee Stakes at Chester because of the rain-softened ground.
Chester Vase third Medrano and Lord Ben Stack make up a field of eight.
