Champion trainer Richard Hannon has a strong hand, with Dewhurst fifth Trumpet Major joined by stable companions Crius and Campanology all contesting the Novae Bloodstock Insurance Craven Stakes at Newmarket.

"Trumpet Major never got the recognition that he deserved for an excellent first season,'' Hannon told his website.

"He won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and was then only beaten a length and a half in the Dewhurst after suffering interference and coming from a long way back.

"He is going really well, and the only negative is the 3lb penalty, but I still think that he will make them all go.

"However, you can't rule out Crius. He is officially rated a pound inferior to Trumpet Major, but he receives 3lb here, so has to be taken seriously.

"He won three of his five races last season, including the Somerville Tattersalls on this course, and he, too, has been pleasing in his work.

"Our other runner is Campanology, who is rated 13lb below Crius so would seem to have it to do. He gets seven furlongs, but, though he is a half-brother to Dubawi Gold, he is by Royal Applause, so you would have to worry about the mile.''

Michael Bell is excited about running Born To Surprise, who was second on his sole juvenile start at Warwick and bolted up on his return to action at Doncaster.

"He's in good form and I'm just hoping they don't get much more rain,'' said Bell.

"He's a classy horse at home and we've always liked him, so we're hopeful he can run a good race. We're going to find out a lot more about him.

"From what he shows us at home, he definitely warrants his place in the line-up.''

Godolphin are represented by Mighty Ambition, a Newbury maiden winner who has been impressing trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni in his homework.

"He is a nice horse who won nicely first time out last year and I think he is a stronger horse now,'' he said.

"His last piece of work was very good, I was very happy, so we will take him to the track and find out how good he is.

"He is entered in the 2000 Guineas and could go there if he can run a big race on Thursday.

"At this time of year you do not understand your horse's capabilities 100%, so you need to run them to find out.

"You cannot sit at home and say 'this is a good horse' forever. You have to run them and then you know for sure.''

The Charlie Hills-trained Forgotten Hero barely came off the bridle when successful at Lingfield last month and while this is a big jump in class, the young handler is confident of a bold show.

"We've been really pleased with him since Lingfield and he could have gone back there, but we've decided to have a crack at this instead,'' said Hills.

"It's obviously a big step up in class for him, but he has bags and bags of talent.

"He has a few big entries so we've got to test him and learn if he's up to running the better races.

"He shows us a lot at home, so fingers crossed he can run well.''

Bryan Smart's Ptolemaic is a big outsider but the Yorkshire handler hopes the fact that he stays well will hold him in good stead.

"The one thing we do know about him is he definitely gets the trip and he might even get a bit further in time,'' said Smart.

"He won his maiden at Musselburgh and everyone thought I was mad running him in the Listed race at Pontefract, but he ran a blinder to finish second.

"As we all know, at this time of year trainers are trying to find out if their horses will stay and we don't have any worries on that score, so we'll give it a whirl.''