Ocovango can strike a blow for France and burst the Classic bubble of Dawn Approach with victory in the Investec Derby at Epsom.
The Andre Fabre-trained colt arrives on the famous Downs with an unblemished record as he seeks to emulate the same stable’s 2011 glory day with Pour Moi.
Indeed, he has followed the same route to Epsom as Pour Moi, winning the Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud and paying a fact-finding mission to Epsom for the ‘Breakfast With The Stars’ morning.
Stamina-laden as a son of German sire Monsun, he will get every yard of the trip and, despite a few hours of late sunshine at Epsom, the ground should have enough juice in it to play to his strengths.
Dawn Approach, the 2000 Guineas winner, is the best horse in the race but it is anybody’s guess as to whether he will stay and it is a brave man who piles in at his short odds.
St Nicholas Abbey can smash through the £5million prize-money mark and complete a hat-trick in the Investec Coronation Cup.
The six-year-old recorded his first triumph since claiming this race last year when winning at Meydan in March, seeing off top Japanese runner Gentildonna.
There were no less than six Group or Grade One winners in the race that day and St Nicholas Abbey accounted for them all, breaking the track record in the process.
He missed his date with Derby destiny back in 2010 but has more than made amends since and can once again account for old adversary Dunaden.
Captain Dunne has not won since claiming the Investec Specialist Bank Dash back in 2011 but could go well at a big price in the five-furlong heat.
He is now rated some 10lb lower than that winning mark and showed sparks of a return to form when second at Chester.
Van Percy claimed a competitive handicap at Haydock last week and can go in again in the totepool Edinburgh Cup at Musselburgh.