Point Lonsdale will head for the Dahlbury Coronation Cup on Friday, as Aidan O’Brien finalises his squad for Epsom’s two-day Derby meeting.

The Australia colt is unbeaten in two starts this season having followed up his reappearance success in the Alleged Stakes by adding the Huxley Stakes at Chester, to prove he still possesses all the high-class ability he showed when motoring to multiple victories as a juvenile.

He is one of three in the mix for O’Brien in the Group One contest alongside Dubai Gold Cup scorer Broome and last year’s Derby fifth Changingoftheguard.

However, it appears Point Lonsdale is Ballydoyle’s main hope for the race, trying a mile and a half for the first time.

“The plan is to go for the Coronation Cup with Point Lonsdale,” said O’Brien. “It looked the last day like a mile and a half might suit him.”

O’Brien also holds a strong hand in both of the Classics set to be run on the Surrey Downs with Savethelastdance the overwhelming favourite for the Betfred Oaks and Auguste Rodin high-up on ante-post lists for the Betfred Derby despite disappointing in the 2000 Guineas.

“Epsom is all about Auguste Rodin at the moment and everything has gone well since the Guineas. We have others in and it’s possible that something else will run with him,” said O’Brien when assessing his contenders.

“Covent Garden might run in the Derby as well along with Adelaide River.

“Gooloogong will go for the mile and six race, the (Queen’s) Vase, at Ascot.

“Savethelastdance has done well since Chester. Be Happy was second in Lingfield and may run as well.”

Above The Curve made all the running under Maxime Guyon to land the Group Two Prix Corrida with an easy two-length success at Saint-Cloud on Sunday.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained four-year-old had been touched off when finishing third in the Prix de l’Opera over 10 furlongs in October before a lacklustre run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

A daughter of American Pharoah, she had a bit to find after finishing last on her seasonal return in the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh earlier this month.

Guyon, riding Above The Curve for the first time, kept things simple, setting a steady gallop before winding things up approaching three furlongs out.

Dual Group One winner Nashwa, making her first start since finishing fourth to Tuesday as favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf having been one place in front of Above The Curve on Arc day, tracked the winner throughout.

However, Hollie Doyle was hard at work turning in and on ground quicker than she would have ideally liked, the John and Thady-Gosden-trained mare faded to fourth, with Mqse Se Servigne coming from last to briefly challenge the winner, with the keen-going India pipping Nashwa for third.

Thady Gosden was far from unhappy with Nashwa’s performance.

He said: “I don’t think we can be too disappointed. All the other fillies had one or two runs already this year and it has been a long time since her last run at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.

“It was just the lack of a run and she’ll come on plenty for that. We’ll see how she comes out of the race and see how she travels back before making any hard and fast plans for her.”

It has been 52 years since Mill Reef won the Betfred Derby from Park House Stables, but Andrew Balding is dreaming of ending the Kingsclere’s long wait for another Epsom champion with Dante hero The Foxes.

Balding of course landed the opening Classic of the season when Chaldean triumphed in the 2000 Guineas, but is still searching for his first win in the calendar’s premier contest having gone close with both Khalifa Sat in 2020 and Hoo Ya Mal 12 months ago.

Not only would a victory for The Foxes provide Balding with a first Derby success, it would be a first British Classic triumph for owners King Power Racing, the racing arm of the owners of Leicester City Football Club.

King Power Racing’s founder Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2018 and not only is Balding keen to restore Kingsclere into the story of the Derby, he believes a triumph for The Foxes would be a “fitting tribute to a great man” and a great supporter of the yard.

He said: “We have a rich Derby heritage here at Park House Stables and it has been quiet for more than 50 years now. It is something we want to put right one day and hopefully The Foxes is that horse.

“It is a wonderful race with a rich history that is ever evolving. There is a new chapter every year written about it and it would be lovely to think he could headline that next chapter.

“King Power Racing have been extremely good to me since they started and they have given me strong support since they became involved in racing.

“He (Srivaddhanaprabha) had a huge vision and this would have given him immense satisfaction as the whole thing was to play at the highest level.

“To have had a horse that is a worthy contender for the Derby is what he set out to try and achieve. I’m sure he would be very proud and it would be a fitting tribute to a great man if he did win a Derby.”

Balding has saddled 10 runners in the Derby since he began his training career and although twice taking home a silver medal and also seeing Kameko sent off favourite on the Surrey Downs in 2020, he considers The Foxes to be the stable’s best chance yet of claiming the top prize.

He continued: “From the two that were second – Khalifa Sat and Hoo Ya Mal – The Foxes goes in there with far better credentials than they had. Kameko started the race favourite, and he deserved to be, as he was a 2000 Guineas winner but as history now tells us he didn’t stay.

“Bangkok went there as a Sandown Classic Trial winner and he went there as a lively outsider, but I think this is the best chance we have had.”

Passenger will be supplemented at a cost of £85,000 for the Betfred Derby on Monday morning, Sir Michael Stoute has said.

The master trainer, who landed the Epsom Classic with Desert Crown last year, will be represented in Saturday’s mile-and-a-half showpiece by the fast-improving Ulysses colt, who was denied a clear run in the Dante Stakes at York.

Passenger, owned by the Niarchos family, made a taking debut when scoring in a mile maiden at Newmarket on April 20.

He was withdrawn from the Dee Stakes at Chester due to heavy ground so connections paid £14,000 to supplement the colt into the Group Two Dante on the Knavesmire.

Upped to an extended 10 furlongs and racing keenly early on his second start, jockey Richard Kingscote found his path blocked when attempting to mount a challenge two furlongs from home.

Once seeing daylight, the 9-4 favourite stayed on nicely and forced a dead-heat for third, just a length and a half behind The Foxes, who enjoyed the run of the race.

Passenger, currently 5-1 third-favourite with the sponsors, will bid to give Stoute a seventh Derby success following victories with Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003), North Light (2004), Workforce (2010) and Desert Crown.

He “worked nicely” in a mile workout on the Al Bahathri Polytrack in Newmarket on Saturday morning, according to Stoute, who confirmed: “We are planning to supplement him for the Derby in the morning.”

Desert Crown, returning from 11 months off after the Derby, saw his colours lowered for the first time when the fast-finishing Hukum overhauled him in the last few strides of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening.

Stoute added: “He’s all right. He did everything right until the last hundred yards when he tied up a bit.”

Roger Teal’s Chipstead came out on top at York with a career-best victory in the William Hill Epic Boost Handicap.

The five-year-old, who is full brother to Teal’s sprint star Oxted, was a 12-1 chance for the contest after being well beaten on his seasonal debut in the Palace House Stakes.

Back in handicap company under 3lb-claimer Frederick Larson, the bay blazed to a three-quarter-length victory over Mondammej with Fine Wine a further neck behind in third.

“We like him a lot, he’s Oxted’s full brother but he never really produces until the back end of the season,” said Harry Teal, son and assistant to Roger.

“He’s gone and proved us wrong and it’s good to get one early.

“These are the ones that count, on the Saturdays, it’s nice to be back in the winners’ enclosure with this sort of horse and hopefully he can step up next time.

“We’re in the King’s Stand, but I think the Wokingham looks the more likely route that we’ll go at Royal Ascot, I’d say that’ll be our next stop.”

Native American may have also thrown his hat in the ring for the Royal meeting with a straightforward success in the Collective Green Energy EBF Restricted Novice Stakes.

Trained by Richard Fahey and ridden by Oisin Orr, the Sioux Nation colt was making his debut in the six-furlong event won last year by Bradsell.

Bradsell went on to land the Coventry at Royal Ascot and Native American is now a 33-1 chance for the same contest after a five-and-a-half-length victory on the Knavesmire at 10-1.

“He’s shown plenty at home before today, but he probably will stay further in time, so we weren’t sure about six furlongs today,” said Orr.

“He’s quickened up and put the race to bed nicely. He’s definitely going to improve off that.”

The favourite, Richard Hannon’s The Line, was withdrawn after unseating Danny Tudhope at the start.

Geoff Oldroyd’s Doctor Khan Junior was a poignant winner of the William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Handicap at York.

The four-year-old, who has undergone lengthy injury rehabilitation, was bred by Pocklington-based businessman Reg Bond before his death in 2021.

Bond’s son Charlie has taken up the reins and sponsored the final race on the card in honour of his father – the Reg Bond ‘Always And Forever’ Stakes.

It was the first race in which the family silks were seen crossing the line ahead, however, as Doctor Khan Junior defied a price of 28-1 to prevail under Harry Russell.

The horse is named in homage to Dr Mohammad Muneeb Khan, the oncologist who treated Reg Bond’s brain tumour.

“My dad and Dr Khan had a great relationship, he was treating his tumour for many years and got it under control, which gave many years of life to my dad,” said Charlie Bond.

“My dad named the horse, I’m sure he was pushing him home today, especially with it being his memorial day with the race later on.

“It was all about my dad today and to have a winner here is unbelievable.”

The aforementioned closing race was won by Saeed bin Suroor’s Shining Blue, who carried Daniel Muscutt to a convincing win when prevailing by four lengths.

Richard Hannon’s Starnberg (8-1) was the winner of the William Hill Extra Place Races Daily Handicap under Jim Crowley, coming home comfortably ahead of his rivals to claim a three-and-a-half-length triumph.

“We went out in front and I thought they’d get to him, but he’s stuck on really well,” said Crowley.

“He made his mind up for me, but seven furlongs is probably his trip.”

Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan, on the mark with River Of Stars in the Bronte Cup, claimed a second success on the card as Quantum Impact justified his status as the 100-30 favourite in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment Handicap.

Aidan O’Brien’s Luxembourg stars in a superb cast for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday.

The Camelot colt, winner of the Irish Champion Stakes last season, began this year’s campaign with an underwhelming fifth in the Mooresbridge Stakes earlier in the month.

That Group Two contest was at the Curragh and over a trip just half a furlong shorter than he will face on Sunday, and was won in fine style by Joseph O’Brien’s Visualisation.

“Joseph’s horse won very nicely at the Curragh and our horse was a little bit ring rusty,” said O’Brien of the run.

“It maybe wasn’t a strong pace and wasn’t to his liking or benefit. He’s come out of the race very well and has progressed well.

“We’re very happy with him and he’s made great progress since the Curragh.”

O’Brien’s youngest son Donnacha has a chance in the Group One in Piz Badile, third in the Mooresbridge and second in last year’s Irish Derby.

“He’s in good form and everything has gone well since his last run,” the young trainer said.

“It looks to be a very hot race, but hopefully he will run well.”

Representing Sir Michael Stoute is Bay Bridge, who landed the Champion Stakes at Ascot at the tail end of last season and was third in the Prix Ganay first time out this time around.

“He’s well, it’s obviously a very strong field so we have our fingers crossed,” said co-owner James Wigan.

“It was a good start to the season, the French horse, Vadeni, is coming over, who won the Eclipse.

“Luxembourg is running, it’s a good race and we’ll see.”

The aforementioned Vadeni does indeed travel to Ireland for the race having been supplemented and will cross paths with Bay Bridge again after coming home a length and a half behind him in the Ganay.

Vadeni was second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last season and prior to that was an impressive Coral-Eclipse winner for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.

Georges Rimaud, French racing and breeding manager to owner the Aga Khan, said: “He has, in the past, liked this sort of fast-ish ground so he should be fine.

“The horse is doing well, he has improved from his last race. We are hoping for a good run from him, the ground should suit him.

“It should be a good race, it often is, but this is Vadeni and he is a Group One horse and should be campaigned at that level.”

Jessica Harrington will run Trevaunance in the contest, the sole filly in the field and another horse who started her year in the Mooresbridge when coming home in sixth place.

Kate Harrington, assistant to her mother, said: “Trevaunance made a good reappearance in the Mooresbridge when beaten only four lengths.

“She had a good blow that day and is going to come on a ton for it.

“It looks a very hot renewal of the Tattersalls Gold Cup but we’re very pleased with Trevaunance and it’s a good stepping stone towards dropping back into fillies’ company in the Pretty Polly on Derby weekend with her.”

The field is completed by Noel Meade’s Layfayette, the Mooresbridge runner-up who was last seen finishing third in the Group Two Huxley Stakes at Chester during their May meeting.

Tahiyra will attempt to go one better than her Newmarket second and provide Dermot Weld with back-to-back victories in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Sunday.

The Rosewell House handler and jockey Chris Hayes combined for Classic glory with Homeless Songs 12 months ago and have a real chance of repeating the dose with the exciting Aga Khan-owned daughter of Siyouni.

Tahiyra headed to the Rowley Mile unbeaten in two outings as a juvenile and although the 6-4 favourite suffered her first defeat when second after a real tussle with Saeed bin Suroor’s Mawj, she left Newmarket with her reputation enhanced having produced such a fine effort on just her third outing.

Having shown her handler she has recovered sufficiently from her 1000 Guineas exertions, she is now given another opportunity to add a Classic to her CV.

“She was a bit tired after the race, but she travelled home on the ferry and came home well and then she has picked up nicely and we’ve been pleased with her,” said Weld. “It was a massive performance.”

Weld is double-handed in the contest and will also saddle Tarawa, who like her stablemate sports the colours of the Aga Khan.

A winner over seven furlongs at two, she was a fast-finishing second in the Cornelscourt Stakes at Leopardstown on reappearance and Weld anticipates a good showing.

He continued: “She ran very well in the Group race at Leopardstown. I’ve been pleased with her work and expect her to run a very nice race.

“I’m happy with both fillies, they are both equally well and I expect them to run equally nice races.”

Homeless Songs’ victory for Weld last year ended a three-year winning run for Aidan O’Brien in the contest and the master of Ballydoyle is mob-handed with Meditate, Jackie Oh and Dower House as he bids to regain the winning thread.

It is Meditate that appears to have the best chance of handing O’Brien his 11th success in the race and he has been happy with what he has seen from the daughter of No Nay Never since slightly disappointing at Newmarket.

O’Brien said: “We’ve been very happy with Meditate since Newmarket. It’s going to be much different ground, obviously the ground at Newmarket was soft and it was her first run.

“She didn’t have a real clear run through the whole winter into the spring.

“Meditate is very classy, has always been very good, and everything has gone very well with her since Newmarket. That’s a very good sign.”

Stablemate Jackie Oh was thought of as a possible Oaks contender after winning over a mile in heavy ground at Naas on debut.

However, after being touched off in a fact-finding mission in the Salsabil Stakes over 10 furlongs, plans were altered and the Galileo filly reverts back to the mile on this occasion.

“We ran Jackie Oh in Navan over a mile and a quarter to see if we would go the Oaks or Guineas route,” continued O’Brien.

“Ryan (Moore) thought that maybe it was far enough for her, so we’d said we’d come back to the Guineas. We can go up after that again if we like, she seems in good form.”

Jessica Harrington’s Eternal Silence is still a maiden but reappears in deep waters following an encouraging run in the Moyglare Stud Stakes behind both Tahiyra and Meditate in her final appearance at two.

“It’s been a frustrating spring with Eternal Silence as she was meant to run in a few maidens but due to going, we didn’t run her,” said Kate Harrington, who is assistant trainer to her mother.

“Thank God the sun has shone for the last 10 days and we’re going to have good ground. She goes there in great form. She was a big filly last season and she’s really filled her frame out over the winter.

“She was a good third in the Moyglare last year behind Tahiyra and Meditate, has had a few racecourse gallops and we go there hopeful of a big run.”

The sole British challenger in the race is provided by John Quinn’s Breege, who performed admirably in Group contests as a two-year-old last term.

She was last sighted finishing fifth in the Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp and although taking her time to come to hand this spring, Quinn hopes she can acquit herself well on reappearance.

He said: “I’m happy with her. She’s taken a while to come to hand, but we’re pleased with her. Obviously we feel she is good enough to take her chance so we’re hoping for a good run.

“She ran very well last year and very well in France on bottomless ground. The winner of the French race (Blue Rose Cen) is probably the best three-year-old filly we’ve seen – she went on to win the French Guineas emphatically a couple of weeks ago. So I’m happy with the filly and hopeful of a good run.”

Fozzy Stack saddles both Amethyst Stakes runner-up You Send Me and Cornelscourt Stakes third Aspen Grove, with Jim Bolger’s Comhra fifth on that occasion and now tried in first-time cheekpieces as she completes the field of 10.

River Of Stars battled hard to take the William Hill Bronte Cup Fillies’ Stakes for Ralph Beckett at York.

The Sea The Stars four-year-old won a Listed race at Chester last season before heading to Doncaster and coming home fifth in the Park Hill Stakes.

On the latter occasion the winner was Mimikyu, the 3-1 favourite for the York rematch as River Of Stars went off at 4-1 under Rossa Ryan.

Ryan kept the filly near the front of the field of nine and in the home straight it was the two Doncaster rivals who locked horns, crossing the line almost in unison as a photo finish was required to identify Beckett’s horse as the short-head winner.

“It played out well, if it wasn’t her first run of the year I’d have probably let her roll along,” said the jockey.

“In the middle part of the race we filled up a lot, you can see from the top of the straight she was just being a bit lairy.

“Kieran’s horse (O’Neill, Mimikyu) has just dragged me into the race, she knew where the line was and she stuck it out well.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if she gets a small bit further but it’s worked out great.

“Ralph’s been aiming her at this for a while and it worked out lovely.

“She had a lot to turn around from the Park Hill with the winner, but she’s turned it round.

“She’s a light enough filly and I’d say she quite enjoyed that good ground, she’s just a bit on and off the bridle the whole way.

“If they don’t get away from her, like they didn’t today, she grinds it out well.

“She’s very versatile and it’s good for the owners, the team at home have done a great job, they’ve stuck faith in her and she’s paid them off.”

Dramatised came with a powerful late challenge to land Group Two honours in the Betfred Temple Stakes at Haydock.

Last seen finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Dramatised was sent off the 4-1 favourite for trainer Karl Burke and jockey William Buick.

The three-year-old was settled off the pace by Buick as both Live In The Dream and The Platinum Queen were eager to make their presence felt early.

However, Buick rode a perfect waiting race and when he gave Dramatised the signal, she quickly made strides up the near side rail, collaring Live In The Dream inside the last of the five furlongs.

Equilateral, a 20-1 shot, did his best to challenge down the middle of the track, but Dramatised was just too good, prevailing by a length, with Live In The Dream keeping on for third ahead of Existent.

Little Big Bear proved his 2000 Guineas run to be all wrong with a comprehensive success in the Betfred Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.

Champion juvenile last year on the back of his seven-length win in the Phoenix Stakes, his campaign was then curtailed by injury.

Aidan O’Brien opted to switch up to a mile for his seasonal bow, but nothing went right at Newmarket and he finished slightly lame in last place.

Just three weeks later, he was a different proposition dropped back to six furlongs on Merseyside, travelling sweetly throughout in the hands of Frankie Dettori, with Ryan Moore on Irish Guineas duty at the Curragh.

Hollie Doyle appeared to be going just as well on last year’s Coventry winner Bradsell until a furlong and a half out, when Dettori made his race-winning move.

Richard Hannon’s Shouldvebeenaring tried to make a race of it having cruised into contention, but he could never quite get close enough to put the evens favourite under pressure and he went down by a length and a quarter.

The winner is now 6-4 favourite from 9-2 with Betfair for the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot.

Dettori said: “Aidan got in touch with me 10 days ago and I said ‘yeah, I would love to ride the horse’, but I didn’t know where I was going to be. Very kindly they held on for me, I was on the phone on Sunday and said ‘listen, I’m going to Haydock’.

“He looked magnificent today. I guess they had to try the Guineas, it was too long (a mile) and it didn’t work out, but he won in good style today.

“I always had the race covered, he quickened up well under hands and heels and it’s a good confidence booster before the Commonwealth Cup.

“I don’t know what the line-up will be, but he was champion two-year-old, he has big figures and has come back to his best today, so he’ll be the favourite.”