Kong booked his place in next month's Vodafone Derby by holding off the challenge of favourite Walk In The Park to take the Letheby & Christopher Derby Trial at Lingfield today.
Kong handled the course well and did enough to satisfy connections that he will not be disgraced in the world's most famous Flat race at Epsom.
Melrose Avenue set a steady gallop in the early stages that did not suit the hard-pulling market leader or Kong.
Richard Quinn opted to send Kong to the front well over two furlongs out to try to take the sting out of his rivals.
Walk In The Park picked up the pace to throw down a challenge, but he was unable to get to the 9-2 winner, who held on to take the Group Three prize by a neck.
"He did everything right and if he stays sound and happy then we'll go to Epsom," said Dunlop.
"He has always been a very good-looking horse and a lovely mover. He's a brother to a lovely filly called Preseli who won the Moyglare Stud Stakes for Michael Grassick a few years ago.
"I was a bit apprehensive about the ground for him as a son of Sadler's Wells. Lingfield missed all the rain and that was a worry, but he seemed to handle it well."
Coral slashed Kong's odds for the Derby to just 14-1, but Ladbrokes, VCbet and totesport took a more realistic view at 25-1.
PA