While trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing was setting out Derby plans for yesterday's Classic Mile winner, Scintillation, at least two interested parties were casting doubts on the gelding's ability to extend to 2,000 metres.
Jockey Gerald Mosse said he had some doubts about the stamina of Scintillation, the highest handicap-rated Derby prospect, after the son of Danehill was running on empty at the end of the 1,600m event.
'He drew barrier one, he went through very easily to lead and travelled beautifully for me,' Mosse recalled the story of the race. 'His acceleration was nice when I went for him but at the end there was nothing left. For me, he is a very good horse but 2,000m is probably going to be too far for him.'
Jockey Club executive director of racing, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges went further, issuing a plea for Shum and the horse's owners to reconsider where they take the product of the 2002 International Sale.
'I hope they will reconsider. At 1,400m or a mile this is an outstanding horse and purely from the club's point of view a great advertisement for our sale horses,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
'But to run him in the Derby seems ambitious. He does not look like he will get 2,000m strongly and I would hate to see his heart broken by running in the race and being badly beaten if he does not stay.'