Marco Botti is confident Fanunalter is capable of defying a 3lb penalty in the totepool Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury.
The son of Falbrav twice won at Listed level in 2010, but has taken his game to another level this season, plundering Group Three honours at Epsom on his penultimate start. He found only top-class colt Dick Turpin too strong in the Summer Mile at Ascot on his latest start, and Botti is expecting a bold show from his charge.
Botti said: "I'm very happy with him and he is in good order. It looks like the ground will be good, so that should suit him and he has a good draw. He is a horse we have always liked and this year he has been in his best form. He is still lightly raced this season - he's only had four runs - and he seems to be improving all the time."
The trainer added: "He ran well in Dubai and then came back to England and won a Group Three at Epsom. Last time he was beaten by Dick Turpin but ran a very good race. He ran a good race here last year but didn't have much luck and got trapped behind horses. I just hope this year we have better luck.
"He has to concede weight to each horse but only Premio Loco is rated higher than us and we are improving. Fingers crossed he should overcome the penalty."
Premio Loco was a disappointing favourite behind Fanunalter at Epsom on his latest start in June and has not been sighted since. His trainer, Chris Wall, is hopeful his star performer will bounce back to better form, but feels he may improve for the outing.
Wall said: "The horses in general are in better form than they were the last time he ran, but obviously he is on the comeback trail. I'm happy with his condition and the way he has been going at home, but this race does have a lot of strength in depth, so he is going to have to run to virtually his best form first time out if he is going to win.
"I'm happy with him and I'm hopeful he'll run more like he did when third in the Lockinge than how he ran at Epsom last time."
Luca Cumani's Field Of Dream has won at Listed level in the past, and although he came up short in Pattern company at Newmarket last time, the Italian trainer feels his charge is better than he showed that day.
The Newmarket handler said: "He's in good form and we're willing to let him take his chance. He's been struggling a little bit at this level, but hopefully he goes there with a shout."
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