15:59

Having coughed up £85,000 for a place in the Derby, connections of Telecaster (4.30) were surely hoping for better accommodation than stall two, from which no Derby winner has emerged since starting stalls were introduced half a century ago. But that may prove only an inconvenience on his way to proving himself the best of these colts.

While his background is not that of a conventional Derby winner, from a stable that rarely competes at the highest level and unraced until March, his performance in winning the Dante was thoroughly convincing. He broke alertly, ran fast enough to secure a handy position and then settled before finishing more strongly than a classy rival in Too Darn Hot. He will have to follow a very similar pattern and his draw is no help but at least the likely pace-setter, Sovereign, is only two stalls away in four. If Telecaster can latch on to his tail for the first furlong, the early part of the race may work out quite well for him.

Telecaster’s sire is New Approach, another free-going sort who nonetheless had the stamina to win a Derby, and his dam was also comfortable at this distance. While he has had plenty of racing in a short time, the signs show he is thriving on it and he is surprisingly backable at 5-1.

Racegoers in the stands on Derby day. Photograph: John Walton/PA

Sir Dragonet has a better draw but has been a slow starter so far and may not make best use of it. This fast ground is a question mark for him. From the same stable, Anthony Van Dyck is more of a worry, as an experienced colt who impressed at Lingfield. Circus Maximus is also going the right way and Frankie Dettori could help him hit the frame.

Broome and Bangkok are both professional types and unbeaten this year but they have not yet shown the necessary quality. Japan and Line Of Duty were well beaten in the Dante and may struggle to turn that form around just a fortnight later.