CANBERRA LEGEND will seek to boost his Derby credentials when he tackles the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York on Thursday.

The unbeaten Australia colt will take his place in a 12-strong field packed with promise. Trained in Newmarket by James Ferguson, Canberra Legend shaped well when scoring convincingly on his debut in a mile novice at Newcastle in February. He improved significantly from that run in taking the Feilden Stakes, a nine-furlong Listed race, at his local track last month.

Now, in the extended 10-furlong Knavesmire contest, where a record £180,000 is the purse, ,= connections are seeking to find out if Canberra Legend is capable of fulfilling his Derby entry at Epsom, early next month.

Ferguson said: “He won the Feilden in good style. He has ticked all the boxes since and we couldn’t be happier with him at home.

“We know it’s a massive step up in grade and competition but we can only do what we’ve done and fingers crossed we’re able to be competitive.

“Stepping up another furlong I think will be beneficial. We know he’s a nice horse and we just hope that he’s that nice, if you know what I mean!

“It’s a very logical place to go and it tees us up nicely for the future. You’ve got three options after this race – Epsom, France (Prix du Jockey Club), the King Edward VII at Royal Ascot. We know that we’re good enough to be competitive in one of them. I just need to need work out which one it is.”

The John  & Thady Gosden-trained Epictetus and Godolphin’s, Flying Honours, look set to vie for pole position in the market ahead of the famous  race. Both are stakes winners, with the Charlie Appleby-trained Flying Honours winning a Newmarket Group 3 last autumn and Epictetus landing the Listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom in April.

Trainer Andrew Balding is represented by Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes winner The Foxes and Ballydoyle handler Aidan O’Brien sends Continuous, who struck in Group 3 company in France last September. Fellow Irish raider White Birch – successful in April in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown – travels from trainer John Joseph Murphy’s stables. Sir Michael Stoute, with seven past Dante winners, will saddle the Wood Ditton Maiden winner Passenger, who was supplemented for the York race.

On Thursday Ferguson is also looking forward to seeing how Canberra Legend’s stable-mate, Land Legend runs in the mile and a half York Collective Green Energy Handicap. The relatively unexposed Land Legend slammed a small field by five and a half lengths in a 10-furlong Newcastle handicap two months ago.

Ferguson said: “We’ve been very mindful of this race for a while – since he won at Newcastle. I think he will certainly appreciate the trip. I think he’ll love the ground and love running on the grass because he’s only ever run on the all-weather. I’d like to see him potentially being a Royal Ascot horse and this is a perfect race for him.”