Stablemate Endorsement led the Aidan O’Brien-trained Pierre Bonnard along at head of the field before Wayne Lordan asked the Camelot colt and Derby hopeful Pierre Bonnard – the 5-6 favourite despite his eclipse in the Ballysax Stakes on his reappearance – to take it up with a furlong to go.

Endorsement was not giving up without a fight, but it was Dylan Brown McMonagale and James J Braddock on the outside that proved to be the danger and the Joseph O’Brien-trained 9-1 shot timed his run perfectly to get up on the line and win by a short head.

Paddy Power slashed James J Braddock to 25-1 from 100-1 for the Betfred Derby on June 6, although O’Brien will not rush into any plans for his winner, with plenty of options now opening up.

“He was tough. He ran a nice race here the first day and we thought he’d come on from the run,” he said.

“We were a bit worried about the fast ground because his maiden win last year was on quite soft ground. You’d have to say that he handled it well.

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“Before today we were thinking he might be a horse for the King Edward in Ascot. That’s the race we were working towards, but I suppose we now have to consider other options as well.

“We’ll see how he comes out of it and discuss it with Aziz Kheir (owner). It’s the first horse we’ve had for him, he has a lot of horses in Australia.

“This is going to be a horse that will hopefully turn up in top international races through the course of his career. Today was obviously a big step forward. We’ve always thought he’d love going a mile and a half.”

When it was put to him that it looks like an open Derby, he added: “It’s probably fair to say that, it looks like a relatively open race.

“I thought some of those Chester horses looked pretty good in fairness, but it does look like an open race and I guess this guy is one of the contenders now having won a trial.

“If we did want to go there he has earned his spot. I think we’ll just see how the next week goes and discuss it with Aziz, see how he pulls up and make a plan then.”

Asked if he’d handle Epsom, he said: “I think so, he’s a good traveller. He travelled very well today and I think he potentially could.”