Balding looking for South Seas clues in Newmarket's Dewhurst

Rivet ridden by Andrea Atzeni (right) beats Thunder Snow ridden by James Doyle to win the At The Races Champagne Stakes during day four of the 2016 Ladbrokes St Leger Festival.

The prestigious race usually crowns the champion two-year-old and it promises to be one of the races of the year – possible opponents include Rivet who won Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes last Saturday, York’s Gimcrack winner Blue Point and Churchill from Aidan O’Brien’s yard.

South Seas, owned by Qatar Racing, is unbeaten from three starts under jockey Oisin Murphy who would like to cap a memorable year by winning a first Group One in this country. Of South Seas, Balding said: “He is a high class horse with a good cruising speed.

“Although the Dewhurst will be a lot tougher, he has three runs under his belt now so is well equipped to try his hand against the very best opposition.

“He is a potential Guineas horse – the Dewhurst will tell us more.

“In my opinion, the Dewhurst is the No 1 two-year-old race of the whole season so it is great to have a horse in my care considered good enough to take part in it.”

Meanwhile, the Frankie Dettori-ridden So Mi Dar made a triumphant return to action at Yarmouth. The John Gosden-trained filly was defying a 126-day lay-off following her hugely impressive win in the Musidora at York’s Dante meeting in May.

However, owner Lady Lloyd Webber appeared to rule out a tilt at next month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly – instead her horse is likely to take on the fillies in the Prix de l’Opera.

She said: “Chantilly seems a long way off, but it will soon be here.

“It would be fairly bullish to go for the main event and we’ll probably stick against her own sex.

“Maybe next year we’ll try to win the Arc.”