D’Arcy shrugs off weighty issue as Edinburgh Knight goes tops

The handler feels it is warranted after the five-year-old signed off last season in great form with wins at Ascot and in a Listed event at Kempton.

With regular rider Jim Crowley over in Dubai to ride Prohibit at the World Cup meeting, Newmarket-based d’Arcy has booked Ireland’s Pat Smullen.

“Everything has gone well, the horse is ready to go and we’ve had no problems,” said the trainer. “The draw (stall two) is what it is. There’s nothing we can do about it and we just have to get on with it now. He’s got top weight, but he’s got top weight for a reason as he’s the best horse.”

Roger Varian’s Eton Forever has headed the ante-post market almost since the betting opened. He won the consolation race for the Lincoln, the Spring Mile, in devastating fashion last season and Varian feels he is in the same sort of shape.

“When he’s on-song I think he’s as good a horse as when he won the consolation race last year,” said the trainer. “I don’t know whether he has improved but he’s had quite a smooth preparation. I’m happy with the way he’s moving. He’s suited to the flat, easy mile at Doncaster.”

This time last year William Haggas was preparing Fury for a crack at Frankel in the 2000 Guineas. He finished an honourable fifth but lost his way later in the campaign.

“He’s in good form, he’s moving well and I’m very happy with him,” said the Yorkshire-born trainer. “The gallop at Wolverhampton did him a lot of good but I’d love a drop of rain. His chance would be better if it rains.”

On a day when Richard Hills signs off as retained jockey for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum at the Dubai World Cup meeting, his successor Paul Hanagan teams up for the owner on Eshtibaak in the Rosebery Handicap at Kempton.

Malton-based Hanagan has already enjoyed success on the four-year-old colt, albeit in a muddling five-horse affair at Lingfield last week, and will be keen to get the defence of his champion jockey title off to a flying start.

Hanagan got John Gosden’s charge up in the final strides to pip Colour Guard, but this competitive handicap is a different matter altogether.

“He’s still a pretty inexperienced horse – he’s just had the three runs as he had a few niggling problems,” said Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager Angus Gold. “He won nicely last week considering the way the race was run. Paul felt he did well to win because they didn’t go much pace and then one horse (Munsarim) ran very wide off the track. Let’s see if we can take the next step.”