Elm Park emerged as a serious contender for the Investec Derby from the historic Kingsclere stable when running out an impressive all-the-way winner of the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.
A statue of 1971 Derby hero Mill Reef adorns the yard and is a permanent reminder of days gone by when Ian Balding held the licence.
Now it is his son Andrew who rules the roost, but as he was in Australia supervising Side Glance's effort in the Cox Plate earlier in the day, it was left to his father to greet the winner, which he bred under the Kingsclere banner.
Balding senior said: "I'm just so thrilled. We've had five generations of this family. It's lovely.
"To have bred him is much more special. He's got the right temperament this horse, which is so important.
"Mill Reef had it, of course, in spades. He had a wonderful temperament. This fella certainly has it as well.
"He's a beautiful mover and he's got a great attitude. He can only get better with age. I was very confident before the race" - Andrea Atzeni
"Andrew does this job better than I do, so I won't be telling him how to go about next year.
"Watching that you'd like to think he'd be a Guineas horse as well, but I don't know. It's up to the trainer and the owner.
"The only problem (with Epsom) is that he didn't come down the Dip at Newmarket (in winning the Royal Lodge)."
The Kingsclere syndicate co-owns the talented colt along with Qatar Racing, who bought a significant share before his victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes last month.
That was a Group Two contest and Elm Park (13-8 favourite) stepped up to the top level doing it the hard way from the front.
Andrea Atzeni, successful 12 months ago on subsequent St Leger hero Kingston Hill, took a no-nonsense approach from the front and once he kicked on two furlongs from home, the race was as good as over.
Though Aloft had made progress from the rear, on hitting the furlong pole Atzeni's mount really lengthened to win in style by two and three-quarter lengths. Celestial Path was half a length away in third.
Atzeni, who will officially take on the role of number one jockey to Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing operation next season, said: "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. I was very confident before the race.
"You're never sure what you are taking on, but he was by far the best. It meant a lot, taking a new job - it's just amazing.
"I'd won a Group Two, a Group Three and a Listed race for Sheikh Fahad, and to get a Group One before next season is great."
Sheikh Fahad, the boss of Qatar Racing, said: "I was just on the phone to Andrew (in Australia) and he is unbelievably thrilled. It's a great day.
"I haven't seen a horse go through the ground like that in my relatively new time in racing, he just glides through it.
"I think logically that (the Derby) 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."
For the Derby, Elm Park was cut to 14-1 from 20-1 with Coral and 16-1 from 33s with Paddy Power.
The Balding team were also on the mark with Dungannon (13-2), who repeated last year's victory when powering home in the Betdaq Betting Exchange #30 Free Bet Handicap by a length and a quarter under Oisin Murphy.
William Muir believes Code Red (11-2) could be a Qipco 2000 Guineas hopeful after he took the Scott Dobson Memorial Doncaster Stakes in brave fashion.
The Lambourn trainer was full of praise for the son of Bahamian Bounty, who sustained a cut leg when powering to victory under Martin Dwyer by three-quarters of a length from the 9-4 favourite Portamento.
"It's superficial, we'll just after look after it," said Muir. "I've always thought this horse was top class."
Another absent trainer in clover was Richard Fahey, who enjoyed a treble with Withernsea, Latenighterequest and Tachophobia.
Latenightrequest (14-1) could return to the Town Moor course for the Betfred November Handicap in two weeks' time after running riot in the Bet Through The Racing Post App Handicap.
"She's got a big heart and we're very excited. She'll come back for the November Handicap, all being well" - Middleham Park's bloodstock manager
The three-year-old filly, owned by Middleham Park Racing, relished the soft ground as she romped home by four and a half lengths under Paul Hanagan, despite veering to the stands rail in the final furlong.
"It was only halfway through the season we figured it out she loves soft ground," said Middleham Park's bloodstock manager Nick Bradley.
"She's got a big heart and we're very excited. She'll come back for the November Handicap, all being well."
Tachophobia (8-1) took the crownhotel-bawtry.com Nursery Handicap by a neck in the hands of apprentice Jack Garritty, while the Malton stable also had the runner-up in Arcano Gold.
Garritty had got the Fahey ball rolling on Withernsea (7-2 favourite), taking victory in division one of the Socialites Zero Stopover Apprentice Jockeys' Training Series Final Handicap.
