Morshdi emerged as a colt of genuine Derby interest with a composed and telling victory in the Betway Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on April 15, a race that often separates promise from pretence.

A smart performance from Morshdi to land the Listed @betway Feilden Stakes pic.twitter.com/fDTfCHrMV1

— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) April 15, 2026

Absent since shedding his maiden tag at York in October, the William Haggas-trained three-year-old returned without significant market expectation at 14-1. Yet from an early stage, he shaped with far more authority than those odds implied, travelling strongly throughout under Tom Marquand.

Poseidon’s Warrior, the well-backed 9-5 favourite, failed to settle fully in the early exchanges before delivering his challenge from off the pace. For all that, Morshdi had matters under control as the tempo lifted, finding enough up the rising ground to keep his rival at arm’s length and score by a length.

“He’s a lovely little horse and has always been a bonny horse,” said Haggas.

“I’m surprised he’s won today as we can’t have a winner at the moment, but that was very nice and Tom felt it was the nice distance (nine furlongs).

“Tom waited as he said the wind was terrible. When he was in behind he was getting buffeted about so he sat alongside James Doyle (riding third placed Bourbon Blues) for a bit to keep out of the wind and then went. ”

The reaction in the market was immediate, Coral halving his Betfred Derby odds from 50-1 to 25-1, and connections now appear minded to test his credentials further via Chester before committing to Epsom on June 6.

He added: “I don’t know how much more he has to offer but he’s a lovely horse and all year I have been saying Chester – he will love it round there.

“He’s now got a penalty which is the only downside to that, but the Dee Stakes was always the race I had in mind, he’s tailor-made for a place like that.

“Coming into this year I think we have some nice three-year-olds and this is the first one we’ve run of the better group. I don’t know where this lad fits amongst them, I suppose he’s number one at the moment until the others prove themselves, but it’s helpful he has won and he was good today.”

On this evidence, he has earned his place at the head of that queue, with sterner examinations now to come.

Boodles Dee Stakes 2025 (Listed)
£100,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 2f 70y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (5)    Mount Kilimanjaro 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore EvsF
2 (2) nk High Stock 3 9-2 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 11/4
3 (7) 2¾ Great David 3 9-2 James Tate Tom Marquand 25/1
4 (6) 3¼ Calla Lagoon 3 9-2 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 14/1
5 (1) 1½ Mirabeau 3 9-2 Dominic Ffrench Davis Kieran Shoemark 20/1
6 (3) ¾ Hott Shott 3 9-2 Richard Hughes Billy Loughnane 16/1
7 (4) 19 Isambard Brunel 3 9-2 A P O'Brien William Buick 6/1