Aidan O'Brien isn't taking anything for granted as red-hot favourite Camelot bids to give the trainer his third success in Saturday's Investec Derby at Epsom.
O'Brien has won just about every major prize going in Britain and Ireland since taking over the reins at Ballydoyle in 1996, enjoying multiple Classic victories along the way.
It is, therefore, somewhat surprising that the team have managed to saddle only two winners of the world's most famous Flat race, in 2001 hero Galileo and High Chaparral 12 months later.
Plenty of smart middle-distance performers have been through the Ballydoyle production line in the last decade, but it is perhaps evidence of the unique test Epsom presents that none have triumphed on the biggest stage of all.
Leading juvenile Camelot is in a different mould to those who have gone before him, however.
A champion juvenile following a truly breathtaking performance in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, the three-year-old became the first son of Montjeu to land the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, fittingly in the year the great racehorse and sire lost his life.
Camelot now bids to follow in the hoofprints of Sea The Stars, who completed the Guineas-Derby double in 2009, but O'Brien acknowledges it is not a straightforward task.
"We are under no illusions with the Derby. We had two very special horses in High Chaparral and Galileo and have not won it since," said the trainer.
"The race is a very difficult test of a horse. There cannot be any chink in their armour and everything has to go right on the day. We are delighted to get there with horses with chances."
O'Brien admits Camelot has always been held in high regard, even before he began working as a two-year-old.
"With Camelot I suppose it was always one race at a time. We really hope we put him to different tests and he is able to pass them," said O'Brien.
"He always has been a very special horse, from the time he was born, and we are very lucky to have him.
"For the future of the breed, they have to sit the exams and do the big tests. Everyone said (a son of) Montjeu had never won a Guineas, it was a big ask for him and history is very hard to change but we are very lucky that he sat it (the exam) and passed it.
"History and stats aren't here for no reason and that what makes him very unique - that he went in there and performed."
Camelot is not the only O'Brien-trained runner in the field, with Dee Stakes victor Astrologya horse with major place claims at least in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Both Derby runners have had the benefit of working round a replica of the famous Epsom Tattenham Corner at Ballydoyle.
The trainer told Racing UK: "It's a definite advantage, it's a massive facility to have - a massive help really."
The horse expected to give the O'Brien pair most to think about is the Andrew Balding-trained Bonfire, winner of what is widely regarded as Britain's best Derby trial, the Dante Stakes at York.
The Knavesmire Group Two had not been the colt's original target, with factors ruling him out of intended trips to Newmarket and Chester, but Balding is thrilled with his charge ahead of his day of destiny.
"I was delighted with Bonfire at York - he did everything we could have asked and he seems to have come out of the race very well," said Balding.
"We had a big meeting at the beginning of the year with the owners, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, and sat down to talk with Harry Herbert and John Warren about the best way to progress to June.
"Unfortunately, he had a dirty scope when we first hoped to run at the Craven meeting and the horse was getting bored and needed some stimulation.
"Carolyn Warren came up with the suggestion of sending him to Dan Jocelyn, a very accomplished event rider, who lives near us. We sent him there for a couple of sessions just to break up the routine.
"That helped and obviously we had the aborted mission to Chester, which might have dragged some horses down, but it seemed to really stimulate him which was good.
