Dubai Millennium, the Seeking The Gold two-year-old with a towering reputation, introduced himself as a potential star at Yarmouth yesterday.
On an afternoon which also saw Henry Cecil's well-regarded Ballet Master dance to prominence in the 2,000 Guineas betting, Dubai Millennium strolled into the forefront of the Derby ante-post picture.
Dubai Millennium earned a 16 to 1 quote for Epsom from William Hill after his five-length thrashing of Tabareeh in the South Norfolk Caterers Maiden. Frankie Dettori, on his final British ride of the year, barely moved a muscle on Sheikh Mohammed's colt who cruised ahead before the two furlong pole and had the issue settled in a matter of strides.
Dubai Millennium will now leave trainer David Loder to link up with the Sheikh's Godolphin operation, as will Jahaam, who looked a potentially decent performer himself when initiating the short-priced double for Dettori and Loder in the first division of the Herringfleet Maiden. Jahaam, who readily accounted for Waabl by two lengths, earned a 33 to 1 quote for the 2,000 Guineas from Hills. Loder, who will be training Godolphin two-year-olds at Evry in France next year, said: "The main thing with both these horses today was just to get a run into them and hopefully a win so they go on next year. They are two potentially very nice horses.
"I see Dubai Millennium as a high-class middle-distance horse, definitely. Like Jahaam, he had big entries but he just had a few little problems.
"I think Jahaam could be a Classic prospect. He's only done about two bits of work and he's done very well to win on soft ground."
The double meant that Loder has now sent out 29 individual winning two-year-olds who have collected 35 races.
The trainer boasts an impressive record with his newcomers and he said: "The reason these horses win first time out is because my team get them ready at home and they can tell me how good they are. They tell me what distance they want and how fit they are. You can then go to the races with confidence.
"As a trainer you just stand there and watch, but they ride them and they know. Otherwise you would be guessing." Ballet Master turned his long-awaited debut in the second division of the Herringfleet Maiden into a procession, easing home under Kieren Fallon by seven lengths from Umbrian Gold.
Ballet Master is 20 to 1 for the Guineas with Corals and Fallon could barely hide his enthusiasm for the son of Kingmambo.
The jockey, indicating that Ballet Master is as good as any youngster he has ridden this season, said: "He's a Guineas horse, why not? You think I'm joking! He's done it on ground he didn't like. He's a very nice horse and he's very versatile."
Fallon completed a short-priced double on Monsajem in the Corton Classified Stakes to put him within three of the double century.