Dubai Elm Park announced himself as a genuine Classic prospect when winning the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster racecourse on Saturday as Godolphin’s Sky Hunter delivered an imperious display at Newbury on a high-quality international day’s racing.

Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by in-form Italian jockey Andrea Atzeni, Elm Park toyed with his rivals before posting a comfortable 2 3/4length victory over the Aidan O’Brien-trained Aloft.

Snoano, running in the colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, finished fifth of seven in the 1,600m event which is an early pointer to the next season’s Classic.

British bookmakers Betfred took note of Elm Park’s performance and cut the son of 2005 Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) scorer Phoenix Reach to 12-1 (from 25) for the Epsom Derby while Paddy Power shaved his price to 16-1 (from 25) for the Epsom Classic.

Atzeni, who is set to become number one jockey to Shaikh Fahad Al Thani’s Qatar Racing operation next season, told Channel 4 Racing: “He’s very straightforward. He travelled nicely and I kept it simple, really. It was like riding a piece of work.

“He’s a beautiful mover and he’s got a great attitude. He can only get better with age. It meant a lot, taking a new job — it’s just amazing.

“I’ve won a Group Three race (in the colours) and now a Group One, before the job even starts!”

The Italian was picking up a third Group 1 in two months following wins aboard Belardo in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (G1) last week and with Cursory Glance in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) in September.

Shaikh Fahad was full of praise for Elm Park, who his Qatar Racing jointly owns with Kingsclere Racing, and said: “I haven’t seen a horse go through the ground like that in my relatively new time in racing, he just flies through it.

“I think he’s the best two-year-old around. He’s definitely a Derby prospect and I think logically that is the target.

“But it will be a long year next year, we’ll sit down with Ian and Andrew and the team and make a plan going forward.”

Meanwhile, the former French-trained Sky Hunter produced a breathtaking display under James Doyle to post a nine-legth victory in the Group 3 Worthington’s Burlison Inns Stakes, Newbury’s last flat racing fixture of the year.

The winner was supplying long-serving Godolphin handler with a second success in the 2,400m contest after Crime Scene in 2007.

Bruce Raymond, representing Godolphin, said on the stable’s website: “Sky Hunter won very comfortably and coped with the soft ground really well.

“He has come back to the form he displayed in France last year and this victory opens up a few options in terms of going and distance.”

Sky Hunter won on three of his four starts in France last year, including a 12-furlong Listed race at Vichy, and finishing third to Intello in the Group One Prix du Jockey Club over an extended 10 furlongs at Chantilly.

A son of Motivator, Sky Hunter also brought up Bin Surour’s 81st victory in Britain this season and extended Godolphin’s international wins to 232 making it the Dubai-owned operation’s most successful year numerically. Godolphin’s previous best season was 2013 when the stable amassed 228 wins.