One-time Derby hope Mildenberger on comeback trail in City And Suburban

3.55 Epsom
Investec City And Suburban Handicap | 1m2f | 4yo+ | RTV

Mark Johnston had Derby ambitions for Mildenberger last year, but injury intervened and now the dual Listed winner makes his seasonal reappearance in the £50,000 Investec City And Suburban Handicap at the track instead.

He has not been seen since finishing second to Roaring Lion in the Dante 11 months ago and connections decided to bypass a shot at the Group 3 John Porter due to his handicap mark of 107, meaning he is allotted top weight of 9st 9lb.

No horse has shouldered top weight to win since Alainmaar in 2010, but Johnston knows what it takes to win this valuable prize having scored with Roman King in 2001 and Sennockian Star in 2014.

Mildenberger: winner of the Listed Feilden Stakes before finishing second in the DanteCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

His son and assistant Charlie said: "We have always thought a huge amount of Mildenberger and hopefully he will be spending the majority of the season in Group company.

"He is still only rated 107 and if he ran in the Gordon Richards on Friday he would face Crystal Ocean, so this is a good place to start, although it will be a bare minimum trip wise for him and he will be going a mile and a half sooner rather than later."

Of their other runner, Aquarium, he added: "He deserves to run and is starting to show he's better at this trip than a mile. He doesn't help himself by missing the break but he'll be finishing strongly."

Can Crossed Baton remain unbeaten at the track?

Course form is all important at Epsom and backers of Crossed Baton can breathe a sigh of relief on that front, as the son of Dansili won the Blue Riband over this course-and-distance on the card last year.

He equipped himself well last season, finishing second to Hunting Horn in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot and only finding Gyllen too good in the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam at Maisons-Laffitte.

Four-year-olds have won the last five renewals, and Crossed Baton has also had a wind operation since his last run.

Crossed Baton: chased home Gyllen in FranceCredit: racing.com Staff

Gosden, who won the race in 2009 with Duncan, said: "He won the Blue Riband there last year and this looks a suitable starting point, although he does have a big weight to carry."

What they say

Eve Johnson Houghton, trainer of What About Carlo
He's in great form, he's moving better than he done in a long time, but he won't run if it doesn't rain. I know they look after the track brilliantly at Epsom so if it does rain it will get in. We want to run him as there aren't many options, I entered him at Ripon on Saturday in case.

Ed Vaughan, trainer of Desert Wind
It was a good run at Kempton in the Rosebery considering he'd been off for a while. He got some kickback at the first bend which is why I don't think he got involved late on. They went a really strong gallop that day, usually they just break and get a position, but they went fast. I don't know how he'll handle Epsom but he's won at Lingfield which is downhill. He's a very well-balanced horse and he travels strongly. I think it will inconvenience more horses than it will him.

Amanda Perrett, trainer of Mazzuri
She's been training well and we'll be hoping to get some all-important black-type for her. She may prefer a more galloping track but she's got a nice draw. This will be a learning curve for us.

David O'Meara, trainer of Mythical Madness
He's ran well at the track, finishing second twice, so he clearly likes it there. He broke out of the stalls at Bath the other day so hopefully he behaves himself this time. He'd never done it before and he passed a stalls test so hopefully it won't happen again.

Andrew Balding, trainer of Wingingit
How she'll handle the track is the big question mark. She seems in good form and you could suggest on her best form she'd be well handicapped, but it's hard to know. They look after the track, but I would have liked a bit of rain.

Clive Cox, trainer of Al Jellaby
It was a good run at Doncaster, the form has been franked with the winner going in again at Bath. We're very happy with him, he's pleased me. The ground went against him on his last visit to the track, which was also over a mile and a quarter, so he's excused for that.

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