Green Impact is working well ahead of the Betfred 2000 Guineas on Saturday but connections already have one eye on the Derby.
Trained by Jessica Harrington and owned - and bred - by Marc Chan, Green Impact enjoyed a successful juvenile campaign, stepping up from a neck defeat on debut to beat Delacroix in his maiden before confirming that form when beating the same rival in the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes in September.
Harrington houses another smart colt in Hotazhell but he is pencilled in for the French 2000 Guineas with Green Impact set for Newmarket and Jamie McCalmont, racing and bloodstock advisor to Chan, revealed that has been the long-term plan.
"It was always the plan when he ran in September," he told the Nick Luck Daily podcast.
"Jessie said before that race that was going to be his last race [of the season] and we all felt that this would be the best trial for the Derby. It is a trial but on the other hand he's had a good preparation for the race and we hope it goes well on Saturday.
"He looks amazing and I think everyone's been very happy with his work at home and we're all very excited about him running on Saturday that's for sure but you just try to stay level but it's not that easy either.
"I think it's a big deal for all of us really, especially as it's the first foal he [Chan] ever had born."
McCalmont also had news of Chan's stalwart flagbearer Kinross who could step up to a mile this season.
"He's an eight-year-old now," he said.
"He seems to have come to hand earlier this year. He's entered in the Lockinge [Stakes at Newbury], it wouldn't have to be soft ground but there would have to be rain for that to happen.
"When he runs and what distance he runs over, that's anyone's guess. Marc feels, and I think Ralph [Beckett, trainer] agrees, that maybe at the age of eight, six is just too quick for him. We know seven is his perfect trip so if the conditions are right we'd like to run him over a mile for sure."
Before then, Sardinian Warrior - named after Frankie Dettori - runs at Ascot on Wednesday in the eventmasters.co.uk Paradise Stakes and McCalmont isn't quite sure what to expect.
"He's never run in a stakes before, he's always been given very high ratings which is slightly hard to understand why they're so high," he said.
"Marc won the race a few years ago with New Mandate but it's a much more competitive renewal so we're going into No Man's Land.
"I think he's had a very good winter and we'd be expecting a good run but like Green Impact, he's never run in a Group One race before; this horse has never run in a black type race before.
"By Sunday morning I'll have an idea how my year is going to be I suppose!"
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