St Nicholas Abbey, the one-time 2010 Derby favourite, makes it to Epsom a year late for the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom on Friday.
The champion two-year-old of 2009 only ran once in his Classic season, when sixth in the 2000 Guineas, but started to make up for lost time with an impressive victory in the Ormonde Stakes last month.
Ryan Moore, in the plate at Chester, will again take the ride for Aidan O'Brien, who has won the race four times since 2005. As expected, the Ballydoyle maestro withdrew his other two entries, Await The Dawn and Cape Blanco, at the 48-hour final declaration stage.
The main opposition to the renaissance of St Nicholas Abbey is forecast to come from the hugely-talented mare Midday, who tries to fill a rare big-race blank for trainer Henry Cecil.
Five-times a winner at the highest level, Khalid Abdullah's five-year-old has finished second in her two visits to the Surrey venue.
Beaten by Debussy in the Blue Riband Trial on her seasonal debut in 2009, she went down by a head to her great adversary Sariska in the Oaks that summer. She reaffirmed her enthusiasm for the game with a comeback win at York three weeks ago.
James Given is having two bites at the cherry with Dandino and Indian Days, who were last seen finishing first and third respectively in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket. The quintet is completed by the Roger Charlton-trained Clowance, who is in foal to Oasis Dream.
Posts
