Curtain Call raises Derby hopes with Conditions Stakes triumph at Nottingham

Easing past two useful but limited opponents in the intercasino.co.uk Conditions Stakes for a comfortable six-length win hardly justified a tightening of the Sadler's Wells colt's odds. He is generally quoted at 7-1.

Retirement party: Beef Or Salmon is flanked by trainer Michael Hourigan (left) and daughter Kay after the race

But, with New Approach now seemingly sidestepping Epsom, the search is on for genuine Derby contenders.

Blue Peter in 1939 was the last Derby hero to land the equivalent trial but dual Derby winner Cumani did win the race with Daliapour in 1999 before he went on to finish second in the Lingfield Derby trial and then only found Oath too good in the big one.

Cumani will plot the same course with Curtain Call, who won the Group Two Beresford Stakes at The Curragh last season when trained by Jessica Harrington before being transferred to Newmarket at the beginning of December.

The trainer said: "The horse was seriously undercooked so he did it well as there is plenty more to come. The two he beat are nice horses but they are not Classic horses.

"He needs to step up and hopefully he will. I got him in the first week of December so I'm still getting to know this horse but he is a class act.

"He was very relaxed and the moment Jamie (Spencer) pulled him out, the turbo kicked in. He did a passable impersonation of Nijinsky."

Spencer, who just had to urge his mount turning for home but was cruising two furlongs out, added: "The boys looked at him at the start and thought he looked a bit burly and they did their best to try and stretch him but he took care of them in a matter of strides."

Thirty horses remain in next week's 2,000 Guineas after the latest forfeit stage including all the major contenders.

Whether they are joined by Richard Hannon's Greenham Stakes winner Paco Boy has not been decided but the owner appears more tempted to pay the 24,000 euros to add him to the French Guineas, according to Derek Lucie-Smith who manages the syndicate that own the colt.

Neptune Collonges gained his second successive win in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup yesterday, a race that marked the retirement of sixth home Beef Or Salmon, who is now to have his attentions turned to dressage.

The victory of Neptune Collonges, who will bid to land a hattrick in the race next year, bagged 165,000 euros for Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh.

It followed the Grade One win of Twist Magic on Tuesday as the champion trainer's amazing season continued.

Dougie Costello rides Nicky Richards' Viking Rebel at Perth today, fuelling speculation that he will replace retired Tony Dobbin as stable jockey.