DEREK Cruz's team have been knocking on the door all season and generally running well as Wind Dancer underlined when showing his strong Derby credentials in taking a quality last race on Sunday.
Yesterday Cruz and his new stable rider Gary Carter combined for a couple of useful barrier trial wins.
Souper started the ball rolling in the first of eight trials on the grass down the straight 1,000-metre course during a marathon trial morning.
He kept on well to beat the much higher rated Glory Of India with Wong Tang-ping's stayer Royal Horse a good fourth.
The Cruz-Carter double came from a blinkered Bo Shing Winner who ran out a decisive winner of the fourth heat.
Great Admiral also went well behind Bo Shing Winner and appears to be coming back to his form of two seasons ago.
The fastest time of the morning was recorded by Optic Empire in the third. He ran a sparkling 57.4 for the 1,000 metres.
