Top trainer Charlie Appleby is targeting the Dante at York with progressive Derby hopeful Ancient Wisdom.
The Dubawi colt, an 8-1 shot with William Hill for Epsom on June 1, has won four of his five races.
With William Buick in the saddle, Ancient Wisdom stepped for a top level Futurity Trophy strike last October. On heavy ground, there was just a two-week turnaround from his Group Three Autumn Stakes performance.
While the thoroughbred has won on a decent surface, Appleby hopes the Knavesmire will not dry up too much ahead of the key trial later this month.
"I'm looking towards the Dante with Ancient Wisdom," said the two-time champion trainer, first with Notable Speech in Saturday's Qipco 2,000 Guineas.
"I was toying with whether to go to Ireland for the Guineas, more just going where the ground is right. We saw what he could do in the Futurity in soft ground and he has got the action that will appreciate any cut."
Godolphin-owned stablemate Arabian Crown heads the Derby's re-jigged market at 7-2 after City Of Troy's flop at Newmarket. The hot favourite weakened quickly out of contention and bookmakers pushed him out to a top price of 8-1 following his ninth place.
But Aidan O'Brien, who inspired Auguste Rodin's 2023 Derby comeback from a similar no-show, will try and repeat the achievement.
“The plan is he’ll go straight to the Derby providing everything goes well in the next couple of weeks," the Ballydoyle chief confirmed.