Will there be a bit of needle involved when Mendelssohn runs at Churchill Downs?

In what was probably the most convincing application to conquer America since Christopher Columbus laid his cards on the table for Ferdinand and Isabella, Mendelssohn lit up the desert with a barnstorming performance in the UAE Derby at Meydan on Saturday.

On the face of it the son of Scat Daddy, in flaying his rivals in Bristol (De Mai) fashion in track-record time, answered most of the questions one might ask of him – save one, which we'll get to – although a closer examination of the situation does reveal that any investigative reporter worth his expense account might detain the colt awhile in further cross-examination.

There was almost certainly a fearsome track bias in favour of those setting the pace on a 'golden highway' near the rail, something Ryan Moore was keen to involve his mount in despite his not being a habitual front-runner, and Mendelssohn – despite the insinuations of the betting market – was top-rated, almost a stone ahead of the runner-up and third and clear of surprise favourite Gold Town, who earned his rating through winning what was undeniably a moderate local contest for the UAE 2,000 Guineas.