Godolphin appear to have a live Epsom Derby contender after Best Solution ran out a wide-margin winner of the Betfred-sponsored Trial at Lingfield on Saturday.

Winner of the Group 3 Autumn Stakes last year for Saeed bin Suroor, Best Solution (7/1) had disappointed in two subsequent outings in Dubai over the winter.

However, he appeared to appreciate the return to turf as he outpointed his rivals, including Aidan O'Brien's hot favourite Sir John Lavery, by upwards of three and a quarter lengths.

Pat Cosgrave was happy to bide his time as Sofia's Rock set the early gallop and was travelling noticeably well at the top of the hill.

When Cosgrave gave the signal, Best Solution picked up in style and comfortably repelled the challenge of Glencadam Glory, whose fellow John Gosden-trained stablemate Tartini was back in third.

Ryan Moore said of Sir John Lavery: "He was only just ready and he got a bit tired. I wouldn't give up on him just yet."

Betfair offer 12/1 from 25s about Best Solution for the Derby on June 3, and Bin Suroor said: "He is very nice. He didn't handle the dirt - he ran on it twice and we came back straight from Dubai as we did not want to run him in the UAE Derby. This was the plan, to run in the Derby Trial, and he has come through this well. He is in the English and Irish Derbys. We will have to talk to Sheikh Mohammed and he will make the decision.

"When he finished second in a Group 1 in France, the ground was soft and we found today that he can handle any ground. He is improving all the time. He improved from Dubai and I'm sure he will improve from this race, too.

"He has been working in the morning showing his trip is a mile and a half. I think the ground won't make any difference to where he goes. More than likely he will be running in the English Derby.

"We also have Benbatl, who runs in the Dante (at York on Thursday). He worked well today and I like him. He is a mile-and-a-half horse, but he needs some cut in the ground. He is doing really well, that horse."

Cosgrave thinks the eccentricities of Epsom will not faze Best Solution, and said: "They went a really good gallop and they didn't mess about. When I got by the two-and-a-half pole, I let him go and he stretched out going down the straight and I couldn't fault him in any way.

"He probably wouldn't want it too fast, that's the only thing, but if it is nice ground, he's fine. I like the way he has a good attitude, tries hard and he'd handle something like Epsom pretty well.

"He is experienced but he is not overly big and is a nice sized horse, so tracks like here and Epsom are no problem to him.

"He is by Kodiac and usually you need an American-bred horse to go on the dirt and he didn't take to it in Meydan. He has shown that is not what he is and has come back here and done it."

GOSDEN WINNER

Pocketfullofdreams had to settle for second behind Hertford Dancer in the Betfred Mobile Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes.

The John Gosden-trained winner, whose sole previous victory came in a Wolverhampton all-weather maiden in December, stayed on stoutly to score by a length and a half from Aidan O'Brien's Pocketfullofdreams.

Coolmore representative Kevin Buckley said: "She came to win the race but after that it was a little fact finding. I think she will probably drop back down to a mile and two furlongs to be honest.

"I think she is probably happier over that, as she showed at Navan last time. But she's run a good race - it is just the extra distance that found her out today. I would not make the ground as an excuse. We'll drop her back and you will be seeing plenty of her. She has a fair bit of ability and Ryan (Moore) likes her, he rode her exactly as planned."

Gosden said the winner will not be in the Epsom Oaks line-up as she would need to be supplemented and connections are "unlikely to go that way".

He added: "We thought we'd be placed. There were two fillies in there they liked a lot, but fortunately one of them slightly faltered and the other one gave us a good race. She is a tough little filly and I always knew the trip would suit her, so we are delighted. We did think we'd be doing terribly well to finish second or third. We didn't expect to win - I'll give you that.

"She has the heart the size of a lion. I love it when they are genuine fillies like this. She always gives her best. She ran on well at Nottingham the other day but just ran out of real estate and that was a mile and a quarter, this was a mile and a half - this is what she wants.

"She is honest. I know the family well. I bought the mare for Mr (George) Strawbridge. He had three decent ones who all got to a level. This one, with the step up in trip, has just gone to another level."

Harry Herbert, representing Highclere, who bred the filly, said Royal Ascot was the plan, with the Ribblesdale Stakes the most likely target.

He said: "We were hopeful because she tries so hard and stays so well and nick some black type. She travelled almost like the best of the lot and when Frankie switched her it was fantastic to see her run on so strongly. When you have an animal who only just wants to win, it makes a hell of a difference.

"We won't supplement her. We'll let the dust settle. Maybe a race like the Ribblesdale will be right for her at Royal Ascot."

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