Dansili colt Crossed Baton lands Blue Riband Trial at Epsom

Just a week after Juddmonte announced the retirement of Dansili, the sire's son Crossed Baton confirmed himself an Investec Derby contender with victory in the Listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on Wednesday.

Out of the winning Beat Hollow mare Sacred Shield, Crossed Baton had to dig deep to fend off the challenge of Mastercraftsman colt My Lord And Master by a head as he became the fourth consecutive winner of the race for his trainer John Gosden, 12 months after Cracksman added his name to the roll of honour.

The Juddmonte homebred shares his granddam, the Listed winner Quandary, with dual Champion Stakes winner Twice Over and the question now will be whether Crossed Baton can break his sire's Derby hoodoo.

Were he to take up his engagement on the first Saturday in June, there are some hints in his pedigree that suggest he would handle the trip - Quandary being a half-sister to the 1992 Oaks runner-up All At Sea, and Crossed Baton sharing his third dam with the American Oaks winner Banshee Breeze.

Dansili's daughter The Fugue was also third to Was in the 2012 Oaks. The sire's sole British Classic winner is 1,000 Guineas heroine Miss France, though he also conjured up the 2,000 Guineas second Delegator.

None of the 22-year-old's progeny remain entered for this year's Newmarket Classics after the latest scratching stage on Wednesday, but he could still get on the scoreboard if Expert Eye comes home in front in the 2,000 Guineas - the Acclamation colt being out of his winning daughter Exemplify.

Sacred Shield has also produced a two-year-old Bated Breath filly named Viadera in training with Ger Lyons, and had a filly foal by Kingman this year.

Gustav Klimt represents Galileo in 2,000 Guineas

Of those remaining in the picture for the Newmarket Classics, the eye is drawn towards the progeny of Galileo - the son of Sadler's Wells having supplied Churchill, Frankel and Gleneagles to win the colts' contest and Minding and Winter to win the fillies' version.

This year, his son Gustav Klimt is his sole representative in the 2,000 Guineas and currently heads the market having won a key lead-up trial at Leopardstown this month, while four of his daughters could potentially take their chance in the 1,000 Guineas.

Happily, a sister to Gleneagles and three other stakes performers, is currently to the head of that market, after she became the first filly to win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere since 1986 last year.

Galileo's Classic-winning sons Frankel and New Approach are also each represented by a pair of colts in the 2,000 Guineas - the latter's son Masar now second in the betting having blazed a trail to win the Craven Stakes over the Rowley Mile earlier this month.

Havana Gold, a grandson of Galileo via Teofilo, also has three potential runners left in the Guineas.

The memory of the late breeder Bob McCreery continues to burn bright through his Anna Oleanda family, and his wife Jeanette McCreery and partners still have two runners entered for the 1,000 Guineas, Billesdon Brook being out of a half-sister to fellow entry Anna Nerium, both of them Group 3 winners.

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