Roger Charlton believes Golden Horn would be "a great scalp to take" as he prepares Time Test to take on the unbeaten Derby winner in the Juddmonte International at York.
The Group One on the Knavesmire will represent a big step up in class for Charlton's three-year-old, who won a handicap on his penultimate outing.
However, he turned the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes into a procession at Royal Ascot and looks ready to tackle the best around over 10 furlongs.
"It's all systems go at the moment," said the Beckhampton handler.
"I think Golden Horn is clearly the best three-year-old and possibly the best horse in Europe at the moment and rightly he's 1-2 favourite.
"We're stepping up from a Group Three, and I'll be delighted to finish second or third in a race of that calibre behind a horse like that.
"Equally, racing is about challenges and if we can take his scalp, which is never impossible in a race, then it would be a great scalp to take."
Charlton is weighing up the options for one of his other stable stars, Quest For More.
The Northumberland Plate winner ran a cracker in the Goodwood Cup, when a close second behind Big Orange, and could either drop back into a handicap for the Betfred Ebor or stay in Group Two company for the Lonsdale Cup.
"I thought the Ebor was the right race but he could be entered in the Lonsdale," Charlton told At The Races.
"The Ebor is difficult to win but there's a lot of prize-money.
"It's a handicap with a lot of horses with good chances, and there might be some with more in hand than we have.
"But he owes nobody nothing, so I'll be happy either way."
