Godolphin's Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) worked a mile under William Buick at Newmarket's Rowley Mile on Friday. The work was preparation for a start in the G1 Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs in June.
The 3-year-old colt worked in company with GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Natural World (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) prior to Friday's card. The G2 Dante S. at York on May 18 is next on the G3 Zetland S. hero's agenda.
Appleby said, “I'm delighted with that piece of work. At the end of the day, he has worked with no mug there in Yibir.
“We were intending to go to Sandown last week with Flying Honours, but that got rained off, and the plan now is that if he comes out of this piece of work well is to head to York for the Dante.
“He has got a lovely profile stepping up to this middle-distance category this year. The Dante is the race that if you go and win afterwards you will probably be second favourite for the Derby. At the end of the day it is one of the best trials.
“This horse will get a mile and a half no problem at all. He is a neat horse and he has got enough racing experience under him now to head to a track like Epsom.
“Until you have been around there you can never hand on heart say you handle it but I believe he has got enough race experience to go there and handle it fine.”
Another of Appleby's Epsom Classic contenders, Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), will target the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial S. at Lingfield on May 13. This is the same route as his Derby-winning brother Adayar (Ire) took prior to winning the Blue Riband.
Appleby said, “I was very pleased with what I saw from Military Order at Newbury. People will say it was a slow time but they weren't going to be setting records in those conditions.
“I just loved his demeanour and the way that he galloped out. He has come out of it very well and he is bred to win a Derby.
“He will now head to Lingfield and follow the trodden route of his brother Adayar, who won this race in 2021, and then we will work it out from there.”
Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been re-routed to either the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot or the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh. The son of GI Man o'War S. heroine Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) took his only start at Newmarket in October.
“I've just taken my time with Imperial Emperor,” Appleby continued. “He is very closely related to Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and in his 3-year-old career he met with a setback.
“It is always on my mind that he is a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half Dubawi and you just can't push them. People will say that I did it with Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) but that was different as he was a miler.
“Wholeheartedly, I would probably say I won't be getting there with him. I would rather bring him along and we might end up going to Royal Ascot or the Irish Derby with him.
“He is a horse that I have high regards for but one that we will look after along the way.”
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