Jack Hobbs back in great order but has plenty to prove

Last year's beaten favourite Jack Hobbs has an absence of almost six months to overcome as he bids to improve on his third to Fascinating Rock, and his last race ended disastrously when he was pulled up in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket.

He is no forlorn hope however, for John Gosden believes he has last year's Irish Derby winner back on course and was pleased with a recent racecourse gallop at Kempton, where he pulled readily clear under big-race rider William Buick.

Gosden, who also saddles last year's pacemaker Maverick Wave, said: "It's not the ideal scenario to be going straight to the Champion without a prep run but we were pleased with how he came through a gallop at Kempton the other day.