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Line Of Duty and Japan set to be in opposition

Last year’s champion juvenile Too Darn Hot  remains on course for the Al Basti Equiworld Dante Stakes on Thursday with 12 colts left in the Group Two showpiece at the confirmation stage.

John Gosden was forced to miss the Guineas with his unbeaten colt, who will be stepping up markedly in trip to a mile and a quarter from when he last ran in the Dewhurst over seven furlongs.

He does, though, have a win over a mile to his name, on his debut at Sandown. Gosden has also left in Turgenev.

Aidan O’Brien looks set to call on Japan, a horse who over the winter looked a principal Derby contender for Ballydyole before a handful of alternatives emerged in the last few weeks.

Western Australia is another possible for O’Brien.

Breeders’ Cup winner Line Of Duty is Charlie Appleby’s big hope of following up Masar’s win at Epsom and is another expected to make his reappearance next week.

One who has a fitness edge is the Hughie Morrison-trained Telecaster, second to Bangkok on his debut before bolting up at Windsor.

“We appear to be Dante-bound,” Morrison told Sky Sports Racing.

“We’ve confirmed him, it was what we planned to do and that is what we’ll do unless the wheels come off between now and then.

“It is slightly intimidating seeing Too Darn Hot, Japan and Line Of Duty going there, too, but we’ll find out.

“He didn’t surprise me at Windsor, we knew he’d run well at Doncaster – he was very green, so we hoped he’d do what he did at Windsor, but he might not have beaten a very good field.”

Sir Michael Stoute’s Almania, Mark Johnston’s Dark Vision and Nayef Road, Karl Burke’s Kadar, Andrew Balding’s Raise You and the Roger Varian-trained Surfman complete the list.