Percy delights Tregoning

Marcus Tregoning confirmed Sir Percy to be on course for the Vodafone Derby after a crucial work-out at Lingfield this morning “could not have gone much better”.

Martin Dwyer successfully put the 2000 Guineas runner-up through his paces with two other lead-horses at the Surrey venue to leave connections delighted.

Sir Percy’s participation in the world’s most famous Flat race had been in doubt after the three-year-old met with a setback following his valiant run in the Guineas, in which he finished two and a half lengths behind George Washington.

But as long as the Mark Of Esteem colt returns home from his Lingfield work unscathed, he will take his chance in the mile-and-a-half Classic next Saturday.

“Things went very well and I’m very happy with him,” Tregoning told PA Sport.

“Martin rode him, knows him well and was very, very pleased with him – it could not have gone much better.

“He worked a mile and a half, the track was very good and it all went according to plan.

“He won’t need a huge amount of work after that and as long as he comes out of it fine, he will be a runner next Saturday.”

Sir Percy, whose unbeaten juvenile season culminated in a neck success in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last October, is an 8-1 chance with Stan James to win the Derby.

Dwyer, who has ridden Tregoning’s charge on his five starts to date, also expressed his satisfaction with the work-out on the polytrack.

“I was very happy with him as he seemed to move really well,” reported the jockey.

“Marcus has done a great job getting him back to full fitness with loads of physio and I guess he’d run in the Derby if he (Tregoning) is happy with him this week.

“He’ll probably have a gallop on Wednesday and that will be it – things look to be coming together at the right time.”