John Sargent hasn’t given up on Owen County developing into a classics contender despite a head-scratching loss of form in the spring.

The gelding produced some eye-catching performances as a two-year-old when he typically did his best work late, stamping him as a horse to follow over longer distances at three.

But there was little sign of that form last preparation, his best results a minor placing over 1550m in midweek grade and an even, midfield effort in Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).

“I don’t know what it was. But hopefully he is back now, he looks a lot better in the coat,” Sargent said.

“It might still be a bit short on Saturday but after that he’ll go to 2000-metres and on towards the Derby.

“Hopefully he is hitting the line hard on Saturday and then we’ll know we’re on track.”

Owen County made some ground when resuming over 1400m on the Kensington circuit earlier this month and has another low-key assignment at Rosehill in the Midway Handicap (1500m).

Tom Sherry has the ride from barrier 11 in a race Sargent hopes can be a stepping stone to either the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 18 or the Tulloch Stakes over the same distance a week later.

The respected horseman also has his usual contingent of three-year-old fillies being aimed towards the ATC Australian Oaks (2400m), a race he won with Gust Of Wind in 2015, along with a number of unraced juveniles ready to kick off in the coming weeks.

“They’re not (Golden) Slipper horses, but I’ve got some young ones about to come out and hopefully some fillies aiming for the Oaks,” Sargent said.

“We’ll see how the (Oaks) fillies come up at their next start or two, a horse called Jolted by Deep Impact and two that ran on Wednesday, So Dazzling and Mountain Guest.”

Sargent’s smart three-year-old Perfect Thought is out of the autumn after succumbing to a neck infection.