Changingoftheguard shortened dramatically for the Derby after recording a thoroughly impressive display in the Boodles Chester Vase.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien had saddled a record nine previous winners of the Group Three contest, with his Ruler Of The World the last horse to follow up at Epsom in 2013.
O’Brien already houses the ante-post favourite for the premier Classic in the form of Saturday’s 2000 Guineas third Luxembourg.
And while the previously unbeaten New London was the colt expected to emerge as perhaps Luxembourg’s biggest threat with victory on the Roodee, Changingoftheguard had other ideas.
Sent straight to the lead by Ryan Moore, the 100-30 chance soon built up a handy buffer over Charlie Appleby’s favourite New London.
It was clear from before the home turn that the market leader was struggling to bridge the gap and Changingoftheguard galloped all the way up the straight to pass the post six and a half lengths clear.
The winner is a best-priced 10-1 from 66-1 for the Derby.
"He was impressive there and we always thought he’d stay well," said O’Brien.
"He was just chinned in his maiden at Punchestown before he then went and won his maiden really well at Dundalk.
"There was no doubt on our part that he would take a step forward from that and improve for going up in trip.
"The one thing we weren’t sure about today was the ground when it rained as he’s such a fluid mover, but he seems to have handled it fine.
"We were delighted with the run and I think off the back of that, you’d have to say he’d go to Epsom now."
Thoughts Of June (7-1) dominated from the front to provide O'Brien with a seventh victory in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Cheshire Oaks.
Without a win in three previous outings, the daughter of Galileo was last seen finishing second to the reopposing Above The Curve in a Leopardstown maiden four weeks ago.
Seemingly keen to ensure the mile-and-a-half contest was a stern test of stamina, Moore bustled his mount away from the starting stalls to get to the lead and she remained there throughout.
Having been ridden with more restraint by Shane Crosse, Above The Curve moved stylishly into Thoughts Of June’s slipstream rounding the home turn and looked sure to pick her up in the short straight.
But the market leader hung slightly when coming under pressure and did not pick up as expected in the rain-softened ground, allowing the Ballydoyle runner to see her off by a neck.
O'Brien said afterwards: "We’ve always liked her a lot and I loved her run the first day back at Leopardstown behind Joseph’s filly.
"I thought she’d come forward from that and she clearly did.
"She got a great ride from Ryan and they are obviously two very good fillies as Joseph’s ran a great race too.
"We’d been thinking of the Oaks for her and that was the reason for sending her to Chester, to see if she’d handle it and it was going to teach her plenty.
"I haven’t had chance to speak to Ryan but she seemed to handle the ground fine and seems versatile."
David Loughnane is gaining a reputation as a very good trainer of juveniles and looks to have another decent type on his hands after Absolutelyflawless maintained her unbeaten record with a stylish display in the ICM Stellar Sports Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes.
Go Bears Go carried the flag for the Shropshire handler last year and having won at Southwell on her debut, Absolutelyflawless took a big step forward to beat some potentially smart fillies under Laura Pearson.
Sent off at 6-1, she was relatively slowly away but Pearson was content to sit off the hot early pace set by the odds-on favourite Star Of Lady M, who failed to handle the bend and carried most of the field into the centre of the track.
That left a a huge gap up the rail which Pearson gleefully accepted, coming home a length and a half clear of Ocean Cloud.
Loughnane said: "That was just what we wanted to see. We knew she'd be slowly away and Laura thought there’d be loads of pace on and she was right.
"She’s quite a smart filly, when the gap opened up she was going well enough to take it.
"I wasn’t sure about the ground but she’s a tough filly and obviously handled it.
"Today was the plan. We can have a think about Ascot and everything. A stiff five furlongs at Ascot, I wouldn’t be afraid of it."
Gay Kelleway said of Ocean Cloud: "We were beaten by the ground, she wants it quick. She’ll still go to Ascot before she goes to America."
Epsom trainer Adam West has to weigh up the pros and cons of running a three-year-old against his elders in the Dash at Epsom having seen Live In The Dream make all in the Tote-sponsored five-furlong handicap.
Having won at Sandown 12 days ago, he was racing off a mark of 92 but Ryan Moore was able to grab the rail from stall two.
Moore sensibly waited until pressing the button and the 11-8 favourite went away to win by two and a quarter lengths from Nymphadora.
West said: "He was very game. I was concerned about going around a bend today as I wasn’t sure if he could hit top speed early enough, as his early pace is his strongest weapon.
"When he goes up in grade, I’d like to think we might have a little bit more to play with. I was losing sleep over the rain but we got away with it on fresh ground – a couple of races later and we might not have.
"Steve and Jolene (De’Lemos, owners) are keen to see him in the Dash. I’m not so keen to take on older horses with a three-year-old, but being on home turf and that being such a prestigious race as an Epsom trainer, we’ll see. His brother will go there (Live In The Moment) and I wouldn’t like to split them."
William Buick might have been out of luck in the feature race of the day when New London was well beaten in the Chester Vase, but he did manage to win the last two races.
Firstly, Secret State confirmed the potential he had shown on his debut when second in the Wood Ditton at Newmarket.
Sent off the 13-8 favourite, the son of Jacqueline Quest pulled almost four lengths clear of Honiton in the Edinburgh Gin Maiden Stakes.
Buick then needed all his strength to get Ffion up in the shadows of the post in the Stephen Wade Handicap.
Paws For Thought appeared to have slipped the field on his first start for Donald McCain but the 5-2 favourite was gaining with every stride and got home by a short head to provide Loughnane with a double.
