Exciting unbeaten colts Cracksman and Tartini head eight runners for the £50,000 Investec Derby Trial (2.45pm), the highlight of the Investec Spring Meeting, which opens the new season at Epsom Downs on Wednesday, April 26.
The 10-furlong contest promises to be the best running of the trial that Epsom Downs has seen in recent years, with Cracksman a 14/1 chance and Tartini a 20/1 shot for Britain's premier Classic, the £1.5-million Investec Derby (Epsom Downs, June 3), with Unibet, the official betting partner for the 2017 Investec Derby Festival. Cracksman holds an Investec Derby entry while Tartini is not currently engaged.
The Investec Derby Trial offers the winner a wildcard entry for the Group One Investec Derby, provided he isn't already entered or a gelding.
Frankel colt Cracksman (Frankie Dettori) and Tartini (Robert Tart), a Giant's Causeway colt, are in the care of trainer John Gosden. The Newmarket handler has won the trial four times since 2007, notably with future G1 victor Debussy in 2009 and high-class filly So Mi Dar 12 months ago.
Both colts were successful on their only starts, with Cracksman lengthening nicely to win a mile maiden at Newmarket in October and Tartini getting on top late on in a mile maiden at Nottingham the following week.
Cracksman is owned and bred by Anthony Oppenheimer, who famously saw his colours carried to victory in the 2015 Investec Derby by Golden Horn, while another leading owner/breeder, American George Strawbridge, has Tartini.
Permian (Mark Johnston/Franny Norton) and Bay Of Poets (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), one of Godolphin's two runners, set the standard with ratings of 101.
Listed-placed Permian was beaten a neck in third on his comeback in a valuable handicap at Bath on Good Friday, while Bay Of Poets was highly tried after breaking his maiden easily at Kempton Park in September.
Godolphin's other runner Youmkin (Saeed bin Suroor/Oisin Murphy), who holds an Investec Derby entry, wears first time cheekpieces after winning his only start at Nottingham in October.
Ahlan Bil Zain (David Simcock/Jim Crowley) is another making his seasonal reappearance. The son of Elusive City was fourth on his debut at Windsor before beating a couple of subsequent winners in a mile auction maiden on Tapeta at Newcastle on October 18.
Newmarket trainer David Simcock said today: "Ahlan Bil Zain has trained fine. He is rated 83 after winning his maiden, so we are going into the Investec Derby Trial with an open mind.
"We are probably throwing him in a bit at the deep end because it looks like we could be coming up against a couple of potential Derby favourites.
"I think the trip will be OK, although his pedigree suggests he might be more of a miler."
The field is completed by maidens Never Surrender (Charlie Hills/Jamie Spencer) and Zoffany Bay (George Peckham/Silvestre de Sousa).
