Dubai: Eight horses have used the Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes as a springboard to success in the Epsom Classic and Godolphin’s Saeed Bin Surour is hoping that Winning Story can live up to his name and blaze a similar trail.

The son of prolific Darley stallion New Approach, whose eight wins on the track include the 2008 Epsom Derby, has delighted his trainer with the smart work he has been putting in on the gallops in the lead up to Saturday’s 2,100 metre contest, which will be run on the Surrey track’s turf track.

Bin Suroor said: “He did a really nice piece of work on Wednesday morning which showed he is well at home. He is in good form and is improving all the time.

“I think the step up in trip will suit him and the ground should be fine. We always thought he was a nice horse and one that would get better with time.

“We will see how he goes in this first before we look at the Derby.”

Winning story is a best priced 33/1 chance with English firm Ladbrookes for the Epsom showpiece on June 4 behind market leaders Minding (5/2), Midterm (3) and US Army Ranger (5).

Together with the Charlie Appleby-trained Emotionless, impressive winner of last year’s Champagne Stakes (G2), he represents Godolphin’s principal Derby hopefuls.

The Lingfield Derby Trial is a highly-regarded prep race having produced eight subsequent Derby winners with the most recent being Shaikh Mohammad Obaid Al Maktoum’s High-Rise in 1998.

Other notable Derby winners that first surfaced at Lingfield include Slip Anchor, Kahyasi and Teenoso.

Trainers are known to use the race to prep for the Classic because of its ideal schedule in British racing, with the Derby four weeks away, but also because the track’s characteristics have a lot in common with the one at Epsom.

It is left-handed and has an undulating, cambered terrain with a sharp downhill turn into the home straight, that bears a lot of resemblance to Epsom’s surface that represents a severe test for the largely inexperienced three-year-olds that contest the Derby.

Although unraced as a two-year-old, Winning Story displayed a good attitude when kick-starting his career with a huge effort to a competitive mile-and-a-quarter maiden at last month’s Craven meeting.

He faces just four rivals on Saturday including the Ralph Beckett-trained Carntop, who races in the colours of his royal owners, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

The Dansili colt was supplemented to the Derby field at a cost of £8,000 (Dh42,581) last month and Beckett said: “I was delighted with his run at Newmarket (last October). He has had a good spring and has been working well. This race was always the plan.

“We will see what happens on Saturday, as that will tell us where we will go next with him.”

Landofhopeandglory is bidding to give trainer Aidan O’Brien a fifth victory in the race, and second in succession having won it with Kilimanjaro 12 months ago, while Richard Hannon relies on Humphery Bogart.

Sir Michael Stoute saddles Across The Stars who is owned by Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail, whose colours were carried to victory the 2003 Derby by Kris Kin.

Latest Odds

Derby Trial Stakes

At Lingfield, UK

7:00pm (UAE time)

(For 3yo, 2,100m)

Winning Story 9/4, Carntop 3/1, Landofhopeandglory 7/2, Humphrey Bogart 4/1, Across The Stars 7/1.