It may have been a relatively dry start to the spring but Ed Bethell is concerned the ground at Doncaster will still be too soft for Old Cock.
Bethell has two entries for the Lincoln on Saturday but Old Cock is an unlikely runner while Naepoint may have to settle for a spot in the consolation Spring Mile.
Regardless of whether Old Cock starts his season on Turf Moor this weekend, Bethell believes there's a lot more to come from the gelded son of Calyx.
"He's very talented, he just needs everything to go his way," he told Racing TV.
"He won't run if it's too soft. With the soft in places at the moment I doubt he'll run, he is extremely talented though.
"He's huge and he's grown into his frame nicely over the winter and I've been really looking forward to him for the Lincoln or the Spring Mile but I think the ground might play against us this time but he's in good nick and I'm looking forward to getting him back out on a flat track on good ground.
"He has to have decent ground. It went very soft at York on his last run and he travelled through the race there as if he was absolutely going to bolt up but the rain got in that day and it just found him out."
Bethell also revealed this meeting has also been a long-term target for Naepoint, saying: "This has been the target since he last won at Redcar.
"We feel the straight mile will be up his street and a fast run race, he might even get a bit further later this season. Always been an honest horse, he tries his heart out and he's improved year on year and I think this year he's going to be a lot of fun for his owner George Parry."
Stablemate Point Lynas holds entries for races at both Doncaster and Dubai but is more likely to stay at home despite his trainer's fears that underfoot conditions are against him in Yorkshire.
"The ground might play against him. A long-term plan would probably be to try and get him out for America at the end of the year, that's what I have in the back of my head."
One horse that will on his travels is stable star Regional who is set to contest the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on Dubai World Cup Night.
Regional ran only three times last season, finishing second at Royal Ascot, and wasn't seen out after finishing fourth at Newbury in July.
"He just had a respiratory infection just before the Nunthorpe," Bethell revealed.
"We had it in our minds he's a fast ground horse and the next couple of races were either the Abbaye or the Flying Five and notoriously they're run on easy ground which wouldn't have suited him so we gave him a holiday.
"I tried pretty hard to train him for Dubai last year and he just wasn't coming to hand quick enough; whether that had an effect later on in the season I don't know but this year we've had a clearer run and fingers crossed he should go out there and produce a good run.
"He's in good form, he's going to do his last piece of work tomorrow morning. He went for a racecourse gallop last week. He's never been a horse that's been great to come to hand in the spring but we've had a better spring or winter this year where it's just been cold and wasn't wet and he's been training well.
"He's better fresh, I've always had that in my mind, but the difference is he's won races he was clearly superior in off big breaks and off different handicap marks now we're in Group 1 company it might be a little bit different but we've got plenty of work into him and he hasn't missed a beat.
"We're under no illusions it's a tall order but he's wintered well and his work's been good."
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