Epictetus was pushed hard by Hadrianus in the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on Tuesday.
Frankie Dettori's mount was sent off the 2/5 favourite due to being a clear form pick on the back of his second to Auguste Rodin in Group 1 company at Doncaster last year.
That gave him a 12lb advantage on official figures, but he only beat the Charlie Johnston-trained runner-up by three-quarters of a length at the line.
Despite the tense finish, Epictetus travelled through the race smoothly and looked likely to be an easy winner at the two furlong pole as they gravitated to the stands' side.
It was hard work for Listed honours in the end, though, with Paddy Power and Betfair Sportsbook reacting with an obligatory cut to 20/1 from 25s about the winner in the Betfred Derby betting.
French Derby could be the plan
John Gosden, winning the contest for a record seventh time and for the first time with his son Thady as joint licence-holder, said: “It was very testing conditions today. It was very deep and he hasn’t trained in anything like that this year. Frankie said he was a little bit lonely in front and he got to the front sooner than he wanted. He travelled well.
“He was looking about a little bit in front but got tired on the ground as it is deep out there.
“He has wintered well and is a grand horse but he hasn’t been training on that. He has gone and done it well and shown a good attitude but just in the end he was looking about a bit and getting tired.”
A return to Pattern race company now beckons for Epictetus with John Gosden hinting the Group Two Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York will be next on the agenda before a decision will be made on his participation in the Betfred Derby.
Gosden added: “We had this pencilled in for him all year. We will go to the Dante is what James (Wigan, owner George Strawbridge’s racing manager) and take it from there.
“He may well be more a Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) horse. Certainly his pedigree might indicate that. We will get to the Dante and make a decision.”
Although Gosden, ahead of joining forces with his son Thady, admitted that Epictetus had a long way to go to match the exploits of one of his 2017 winner Cracksman, he feels he is already superior to another of his previous winners.
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He added: “He is better than Crossed Baton, and we have also won it with the likes Cracksman and Debussy. Cracksman wasn’t a bad horse!
“I like the second (Hadrianus) as he looks a proper St Leger horse. You can’t judge him (Epictetus) on this kind of ground though as he hasn’t trained on it all spring.”
Like Gosden two-time Derby winning rider Dettori, who before racing had a mural of him unveiled at the track, agreed that an outing in next month’s Dante would give a better indication of what route to take with Epictetus.
Dettori, who performed one of his famous flying dismounts after the win to celebrate a record fifth success in the contest, said: “The pace was even for that ground. I had him exactly where I wanted him to be.
“I thought beforehand Oisin (Murphy on Stormbuster) was the one to beat. On this ground you can’t give them too much rope.
“I kicked with them at the two and then all of a sudden I found myself in front. He kind of idled a bit and it was the first time that the horse had been on grass for a long time. He has passed his test and I suspect we will run again one more time.
“I’d like to see him again (before deciding whether he stays a mile and a half). It is very hard to tell on these testing conditions.
“He got a mile and a quarter well on very testing ground and he hasn’t got much further to go but perhaps a race like the Dante will give us a better clue. He is a very neat and balanced horse.
“His form his solid as he was second in the Vertem Futurity and he was entitled to come here and win. If you freeze the race at the furlong marker I was three clear but then you if look at the winning post I was three parts clear. I was pleased with him.”
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