Tregoning Bullish Over Percy Chance

Marcus Tregoning has nominated his Sir Percy as 'the one to beat' when the Classic runner-up takes his place in the Vodafone Derby at Epsom tomorrow.

After charging through his juvenile campaign with his beaten record intact, the Dewhurst Stakes winner made his seasonal bow in the Stan James 2000 Guineas when finding only the talismanic George Washington too strong.

However, the son of Mark Of Esteem emerged from that race below par but Tregoning reports him to be fighting fit and ready to do himself justice in the £1,250,000 contest.

'A lot of horses probably do have stops but you just don't here about them whereas we have been very open about the whole thing,' said Tregoning.

'He came out of the Guineas a bit jarred in front and when the jarring came out he pulled a hamstring and pulled muscles in his back too. But with a lot of hard work and plenty of physio it has come out pretty quickly really.

'He looks very, very well. He went into the Guineas a fresh horse and now he has had the race he should be better for it.'

Sir Percy ? who had the Aidan O'Brien-trained Horatio Nelson back in eighth in the Guineas ? will be tackling a mile and a half for the first time and connections have no worries about him seeing out the distance.

'The jockey (Martin Dwyer) is confident he will stay and that is all we can hope for. I feel he will stay but we have to just ride a normal race on him and assume he will get the trip.

'All things being equal he definitely looks the one to beat. Aidan is a genius at getting his horses back to their best and if it is Sir Percy and Horatio Nelson coming up the straight together, hopefully we will win.'

(C) PA Sport