“We think he is where he was this time last year before the Winter Derby–working slightly better than the year before, when he was second to Alenquer,” Havlin said. “Lord North is an eight-year-old now and takes a bit of getting fit, but he seems to be bright in himself. From a fitness perspective, he will improve as he always needs this first run to get all the lights switched on, but he is the class act and we are expecting a big run.”

“He is quite an uncomplicated horse, as he relaxes into a race and it is up to you when to press the button. His optimum trip is probably nine furlongs given his record in the Dubai Turf, but he has run well over a mile and a half at the Breeders' Cup.”

While Godolphin's Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) failed to go on after that promising performance last May, the now-gelded full-brother to Adayar (Ire) showed form strong enough to be a major player here when second in the course-and-distance Winter Derby Trial Conditions S. in January. Possibly more attuned to the greater stamina test than Lord North, he represents a worthy rival alongside Prince Faisal's long-absent Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}) who is seen for the first time since finishing fourth in the 2022 G1 2000 Guineas.

“Military Order has definitely come forward since his last start,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “He ticks a couple of boxes in that he has run well already this year over the track and trip. He should be a big player based on the pick of his three-year-old form and what he achieved in the trial.”

Ted Voute, racing manager to Prince Faisal, said of Eydon, “Andrew [Balding] has been pleased with him and was pleased with his gallop at Kempton. It's a pretty even field and they are all rated around the same figures apart from Lord North and we will see.”

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“Sadly, Eydon will miss the Derby at Epsom,” Varian tweeted. “He has met with a minor setback which will keep him from running on Saturday.

“While it is of course hugely frustrating to miss a Classic opportunity, we will look forward to the rest of the season with Eydon and he remains a very exciting prospect for his owner, Prince A A Faisal.”

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Voute said, “He'll go on Monday to Epsom and have a little piece of work down the hill and around the turn and into the straight.

“We'll see how he handles the bend and the camber and then the Prince will have a think about what he wants to do after seeing how balanced he is.”

Voute also had an update on Prince Faisal's globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), and he is targeting the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot. Successful in the G1 Juddmonte International S. in August of 2021, the 2020 Prix du Jockey Club hero was fourth in the G1 QIPCO British Champion S. in the autumn. Defending his Saudi Cup title, the 5-year-old entire faded to last of 14 in Riyadh on Feb. 26.

“I said to the Prince the other day that he'd already won the French Derby and he said 'oh well, I don't mind winning it twice,'” Voute added. “Ascot is where we're heading [with Mishriff]. We're just waiting to see whether we'll be ready for then, but it's pretty much the same agenda as last year and we'll just take it one race at a time.

“I'm not sure I really want to take on Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), but if we're going to be a champion then we've got to.”

Also heading to the Cazoo Derby Gallops Morning on Monday are Eydon's fellow Derby contenders Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and West Wind Blows (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) as well as Oaks entrant Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

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“I went to see him on Monday and he looked magnificent, so I relayed that information to the Prince, who is still in Saudi Arabia and after discussions with Roger as well, we have left him in the Guineas for the time being to keep all the options open,” said Voute.

“The Prince has said the best trial for the Derby is the Guineas, so that is definitely on our mind, but it's just the timing from the Feilden to the Guineas is the shortest of all the options we have, so that's really why we're sitting and deliberating.

“Going down to Newmarket myself and having a look at him was one of the pieces of the puzzle, which I fed back into the system and as a result we've left him in. Sometimes you're forced to make decisions before you want to make them, but by leaving him in the race it buys us a week.”

He added: “Obviously, we've got the likes of Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and some very good horses to face up to, but you don't become the best unless you race against them and the Prince has never been shy, he likes to race them at the top table if they are good enough.

“He's 25-1 for the Guineas and I wonder if he was by Frankel (GB) out of an Olden Times mare he would be shorter in the betting, but he's by Olden Times out of a Frankel mare so he's 25s.

“He won the Feilden very nicely and he could be anything, but we've not ruled anything out and he was put in the [G2] Dante [S.] and all the right races in both England and France.”

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Anchored in a detached last throughout the early stages by David Egan, the imposing bay made an  impressive forward move out wide to swamp Masekela approaching two out and draw away for a resounding success.

“He's a lovely horse, but he's a big horse, he's come here weighing nearly 550 kilos and that's why he has taken a bit of time,” trainer Roger Varian commented. “Big horses always seem to take plenty of time. We've always rated him, he's always worked nicely at home. He galloped out well there and he'll get further, he's an exciting horse. He was entered in the Craven and we were weighing up the options of Craven or nine furlongs, but the Prince [Faisal] said 'don't go for a novice or a maiden, go for the Feilden if you're happy with him' and this is hopefully another nice horse for the Prince, who has had so many nice horses over the years. The way he's won here would justify an ambitious plan.”

Varian added, “I got it wrong on his second start but he ran very well on his debut and if you watch that back, he looked a jolly nice horse although he didn't win. As we were saddling him we said the horse will be delighted that he didn't have to go up the A1 today and he has probably enjoyed a short trip down the road.

“We always thought he would be better on grass than on the all-weather and his work over the last fortnight had been good.

“I have to thank Prince Faisal really, A for sending me the horse to train as he has been very supportive of me throughout my career. Prince Faisal is very knowledgeable, and he saw the promise from this horse on his debut. The Prince has had so many great horses and he owned the sire Olden Times who won this race a few years ago.”

Although Eydon holds entries for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, G2 Dante S. and the G1 Cazoo Derby, his next start is up in the air.

Varian continued, “I won't make any decisions without speaking to the Prince. We will see how he comes out of the race but he is well entered up. I'm not sure where we go next, but he has got all the entries. The way he won here he would justify an ambitious plan and is something to look forward to I think.”

The winner is the first foal out of the dam, who died as a 7-year-old and is a half to four black-type performers including the Listed Sandringham H. winner and G3 Nell Gwyn S. third Festivale (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and her Listed Prix de Saint-Patrick-winning full-sister Arctic Gyr (Ire). Moon Mountain has left the 2-year-old filly Hopeful (GB) (Make Believe {GB}) and a yearling filly by Kingman (GB).

BET365 FEILDEN S.-Listed, £52,000, Newmarket, 4-14, 3yo, 9fT, 1:50.89, gd.
1–EYDON (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Olden Times (GB)
                1st Dam: Moon Mountain (GB), by Frankel (GB)
                2nd Dam: Cephalonie, by Kris S.
                3rd Dam: Heraklia, by Irish River (Fr)
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Prince A. A. Faisal; B-Nawara Stud
Limited (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-David Egan. £29,489. Lifetime
Record: 3-1-1-1, $42,371.
2–Masekela (Ire), 126, c, 3, El Kabeir–Lady's Purse (GB), by
Doyen (Ire). (€35,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV; 30,000gns Ylg '20
TATOCT). O-Mick and Janice Mariscotti; B-Coolawn Stud (IRE);
T-Andrew Balding. £11,180.
3–Austrian Theory (Ire), 126, c, 3, Awtaad (Ire)–Cedar Sea (Ire),
by Persian Bold (Ire). (30,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Dr J
Walker; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd and P A Byrne (IRE); T-Mark
Johnston. £5,595.
Margins: 3 1/4, 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 22.00, 2.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Sonny Liston (Ire), Cresta (Fr), Dawn of Liberation (Ire).

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