SHEIKH MOHAMMED unleashed an outside prospect for next year's Derby at Newbury yesterday but put Frankie Dettori on the wrong mount.

Faced with a tricky choice between King Sound and Haltarra, a half brother of Lammtarra, the leading owner made the jockey's mind up for him.

Dettori rode the Godolphin colt Haltarra but he could manage only third place as King Sound, ridden by Willie Ryan, took the Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes.

King Sound, trained by John Gosden, had run a race of promise to finish a considerate fourth at Kempton following a slow start.

The performance caught the eye of stewards who were told the horse had become unsettled in the stalls and missed the break.

But the son of Caerleon was well away yesterday and ran on to beat Solo Mio by half a length with Haltarra a short head back in third.

Top horses such as Shergar, Rainbow Quest, Shahrastani, King's Theatre and Unfuwain are previous winners of the race and King Sound received Derby quotes of 25/1 and 33/1 from William Hill and Coral.

"If I have a good middle distance horse for next year, this is it," said Gosden. "I'm delighted with his run."

Hever Golf Rose's defence of her Prix de l'Abbaye crown could be in the balance after she slumped to another defeat in the Tony Stratton Smith Memorial Conditions Stakes.

A prolific winner last year, she has yet to win this term and found Struggler, who now heads for Paris, a length too good yesterday.

Dettori, who partnered Struggler to victory, completed a double when the Queen's Thread needle took the Kintbury Maiden Stakes.