David Simcock admits leading fancy Darley Sun is facing an uphill battle in Saturday's totesport.com Cesarewitch at Newmarket.
The lightly-weighted three-year-old is now guaranteed a run in the handicap feature after a number of withdrawals at the five-day stage left him 31st in a list of 34 permitted runners.
However, the last three-year-old Cesarewitch winner was Spirit Of Love in 1998 and though Simcock's charge is favourite after his Doncaster Cup second, the trainer is wary.
He said: "Of course we were pleased to see him get in the race. He worked on Saturday over a mile on the peat moss gallop on Racecourse Side and will have another blow on Wednesday, but he's in very good order and I am very happy with him.
"The ground is no problem and it will be perfect for him on Saturday. Andrea Atzeni will ride him and will come and have his first sit on the horse on Thursday.
"We will go into it very hopeful but, realistically, it has been a long time since a three-year-old has won this race - they don't have a great record.
"Of course the Doncaster run has given us grounds for optimism and he is a progressive horse who stays very well, but his profile is very similar to that of Askar Tau, who finished fourth as a three-year-old in last year's Cesarewitch."
There are 48 horses still vying for a run, with other major contenders still engaged including the Clive Cox-trained Electrolyser and John Dunlop's Swingkeel. Andrew Turnell's Blue Bajan is top-weight on 9st 11lb.
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