Vodafone Derby favourite Yeats (1/5fav) recorded a workmanlike success in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown today.
Aidan O'Brien's charge had to be shaken up by Jamie Spencer with just over a furlong to run, although he was always holding the challenge of Relaxed Gesture.
The son of Sadler's Wells - a general 3-1 chance for Epsom before the race - had one and a half lengths to spare over Dermot Weld's runner at the line.
O'Brien has won this race with his previous Derby heroes Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002), and William Hill were swift to react to today's result by cutting Yeats to 5-2 favourite (from 11-4) for the blue riband race.
"He's a very good horse. It's very hard to make comparisons between him, Galileo and High Chaparral," said O'Brien after the race. "But all you can say is that he gallops, he stays, he's genuine and he's tough, like they both were.
"He's just lobbed out and kept going today. I don't think Jamie really hit him at all."