Fast-ground specialist Khalidi to make Winter Derby debut for Cox

Last year's King Edward VII and Gordon Stakes runner-up Khalidi is set to make his debut for Clive Cox in the Group 3 Betway Winter Derby at Lingfield a week on Saturday after pleasing the trainer and jockey Adam Kirby in a racecourse gallop there.

Cox reported: "It wasn't a ground-breaking bit of work, but we were very pleased with him. Khalidi has never raced on an all-weather surface and the main objective was just to get him out there for a look around the track."

Khalidi was a Listed winner at Newmarket and Goodwood last year for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori, and he was beaten only half a length by Permian at Royal Ascot in the King Edward VII Stakes after finishing down the field in the Derby.

However, he has not been seen in public since proving no match for Crystal Ocean when fancied for a Gordon Stakes run on unusually soft ground.

Cox, who was delighted when the potentially smart Now Children made a successful return from a broken pelvis at Wolverhampton last week, said: "Khalidi is a really bonny horse with plenty of ability and his racecourse record speaks for itself, but we had a frustrating time with the ground after he joined us last year, having had him in time for York in August.

"It poured down before the Voltigeur, and he's clearly a better horse on better ground, so here we go."

Kirby has won two of the last three Winter Derbys, on Tryster in 2015 and Grendisar in 2016, but Cox has seldom had a runner.

He recalled: "The only one I remember is finishing second with Dansili Dancer in 2011, when Philip Robinson beat us on Nideeb of Clive Brittain's."

Khalidi is a best-priced 8-1 with Coral for a race in which Deauville, Idaho and War Decree head a clutch of classy entries from Aidan O'Brien, who would be bidding for his first win in the race.

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