Charlie Appleby’s Betfred Derby contender Flying Honours tuned up for the Dante with a gallop before racing at Newmarket on Friday – but stablemate Imperial Emperor is not being pointed towards Epsom

Flying Honours will take in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai-sponsored York feature on May 18, a race Appleby won two years ago with Hurricane Lane, who went on to win the Irish Derby and St Leger.

The Sea The Stars colt worked with Yibir and Natural World, and Appleby liked what he saw.

“I’m delighted with that piece of work. At the end of the day, he has worked with no mug there in Yibir,” he said.

“We were intending to go to Sandown (Classic Trial) 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 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 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.”

Stablemate Military Order, impressive at Newbury recently, will follow the same route as his brother Adayar by going for the Lingfield Derby Trial on May 13.

“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 is bred to win a Derby.”

Appleby confirmed he intends to send Imperial Emperor to Royal Ascot and possibly the Irish Derby, rather than Epsom.

“I’ve just taken my time with Imperial Emperor. He is very closely related to Ghaiyyath and in his three-year-old career he met with a setback,” he said.

“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, 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 regard for, but one that we will look after along the way.”