Smart said: “I couldn’t be more pleased with him and he’s going to Newmarket in good order. I’m hoping for a big run in what looks to be a very competitive race. He deserves to be there and he owes us nothing.

“I was obviously a bit disappointed he got beat last time but, if anything, I think my horse was a little bit free that day and the form is solid.”

The North Yorkshire handler is keeping his options open regarding the future with the Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed-owned son of Ishiguru.

“He’s in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes so that’s a possibility, but obviously we’ll have to discuss with Sheikh Rashid what happens after this race.

“The horse has done it on all sorts of ground so I wouldn’t be concerned on that score,” he added.

Peter Chapple-Hyam’s unbeaten juvenile Dutch Art heads a high-class field of six for the six-furlong feature.

The Medicean colt won the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville on his last start - form that has been boosted by Neville Callaghan’s Excellent Art, who was third home that day but has since won the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes.

“I’m very happy with him,” said Chapple-Hyam.

“He’ll be taking on some very good horses in the Middle Park, but then he has proved that he is a very good horse himself. He won’t let us down.

“I don’t think the ground will matter to him. We are forecast rain, but it can’t be any softer than it was when he won the Prix Morny in Deauville,” the trainer told his website.

Aidan O’Brien relies on Brave Tin Soldier, a Listed scorer last time out, while Wi Dud will represent Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan, successful in the Middle Park last year with Amadeus Wolf.

Gimcrack Stakes hero Conquest bids to continue his improvement for William Haggas, while Barry Hills’ Captain Marvelous completes the field.