Tony McFadden provides the Timeform ratings reaction following the classic trials dominated by Aidan O'Brien.
Minnie Hauk (Timeform rating 100p from 85p)
Minnie Hauk, a €1.85 million purchase as a yearling, had made a promising start to her career as a juvenile, getting off the mark at the second attempt with victory in a mile maiden at Leopardstown, and she coped well with the rise in class to win the Listed Cheshire Oaks on her reappearance (replay below).
Minnie Hauk was stepping up more than three furlongs in trip in the Cheshire Oaks and she relished the extra emphasis on stamina, finding plenty to win by a length. That performance represented marked improvement from Minnie Hauk, though she's rated slightly lower than a typical winner of the Cheshire Oaks in the last ten years and some way below subsequent Irish Oaks winner Savethelastdance who registered a figure of 115 when storming 22 lengths clear in testing conditions in 2023.
She is rated a long way shy of Oaks favourite Desert Flower, whose Fillies' Mile form last season earned her a rating of 118, but Minnie Hauk looks likely to appreciate a further step up in trip at Epsom and is worth her place in the line-up.
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Lambourn (112p from 104)
Lambourn had shaped like one who would appreciate a longer trip when runner-up to Delacroix in the Ballysax Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Leopardstown in March and he duly showed improved form when upped to a mile and a half in the Chester Vase.
Lambourn was shaken up half a mile out and firmly ridden on the turn for home, but he stayed on strongly in the straight to power a length and a half clear of runner-up Lazy Griff with that one two lengths clear of the third, Convergent.
He's rated in line with a typical winner of the Chester Vase over the last decade and 10lb behind the pick of the three-year-olds we've seen this season in 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court.
He would be suited by a strong gallop at Epsom, with Timeform's reporter noting that he "strikes as the type to run well in the Derby next month with further improvement on the cards, even if he does prove vulnerable to classier types".
Mount Kilimanjaro (113p from 106)
Mount Kilimanjaro had progressed well during his two-year-old campaign, signing off for the season with a runner-up effort behind stablemate Twain in the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud, but he had been disappointing on his seasonal reappearance at Dundalk where he was turned over at 1/4.
Mount Kilimanjaro had clearly benefited from the run at Dundalk, however, and got back on the up at Chester where he stayed on strongly from the rear to win a soundly-run Dee Stakes.
His performance looks of similar calibre to Lambourn's in the Chester Vase the previous afternoon and he too remains open to further improvement, with the step up to a mile and a half likely to be in range based on his strength at the finish. His performance in Dee Stakes was just about the best since Magician, who was also trained by Aidan O'Brien, struck in 2013.
Giselle (106p from 90p)
Giselle faced a simple task on her return in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield but she still impressed in brushing aside her two rivals to win by nine lengths.
The race was run at a slow pace, perhaps unsurprisingly given the very small field, but Giselle was still able to completely outclass her rivals and put in some good late work on the sectional clock to earn a significant upgrade.
She's bred to be out of the ordinary being a daughter of Frankel out of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord and there's every chance she will take a big step forward when presented with a more serious test.
Puppet Master (111 from 101p)
Puppet Master put his experience to good use to fend off stablemate Stay True (111p from 95p) in the Lingfield Derby Trial but wouldn't be sure to confirm the placings on another occasion.
Puppet Master went into the Lingfield Derby Trial with the best form on offer courtesy of a good fourth in the Royal Lodge Stakes on his final start at two, but he had to step up to fend off his promising once-raced stablemate who understandably proved a bit green under pressure.
He performed to a similar level on ratings to Chester winners Lambourn and Mount Kilimanjaro so is clearly worth his place in the Derby, though perhaps lacks the same potential for improvement as that pair. He is also rated slightly lower than a typical winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial with the average Timeform performance rating of the past ten winners coming in at a shade over 112.
Runner-up Stay True, who is from Galileo's final crop, isn't entered in the Derby but is in the Irish Derby. He has made a highly encouraging start to his career and remains likely to do better, so it's plausible he could provide his great sire with one final winner at the highest level.
Delacroix (remains 116p)
The form of Delacroix's win in the Ballysax Stakes had been given a few boosts by runner-up Lambourn landing the Chester Vase, fourth-placed Puppet Master winning the Lingfield Derby Trial and fifth-placed Wemighttakedlongway's success in the Salsabil Stakes. And Delacroix did his own bit for the form by landing short odds in the Derby Trial Stakes back over a mile and a quarter at Leopardstown on Sunday without needing to improve on his Ballysax effort or match the form he had shown when narrowly denied in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy last season.
Delacroix is out of a multiple Grade 1-winning miler Tepin, but he's a half-brother to Grateful, who won the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu over a mile and three-quarters, and he looks likely to be suited by the step up to a mile and a half at Epsom. His two races this year have been run at modest gallops at best, but he remains capable of raising his game when faced with a truer tempo.
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