After a solid showing last spring, King Of Thunder returns to Derby company, this time as a more polished and race-hardened contender.

The colt is set to back up in Saturday’s ATC Australian Derby (2400m) just four days after placing third in the delayed Tulloch Stakes (2000m).

While the short break is less than ideal, trainer John O’Shea is confident the horse is ready to thrive on the challenge.

“It is what it is,” O’Shea said.

“I don’t think there is any issue for him at the trip. He is executing his race plan so much better now as an older three-year-old.

We can go into Saturday’s race knowing we’ve got a fit horse that will be better suited on top of the ground that is going to run a strong mile-and-a-half.

We’re looking forward to the day.”

King Of Thunder showed talent during his first prep, finishing top three in The Vase (2040m) before running mid-field as a fancied $6 hope in the Victoria Derby (2500m).

This time, O’Shea feels his colt is better equipped mentally and physically, even in the face of a strong challenge from Aeliana.

“The filly is good and she was very good the other day,” he said of Aeliana’s Rosehill Guineas performance.

“But he started favourite in the Victoria Derby. He didn’t execute well there, he will execute well on Saturday.”

In the Chairman’s Quality, O’Shea’s Sydney Cup-bound Athabascan looks to close the gap on Alalcance with a more favourable weight scenario.

O’Shea also singled out Polymnia as a major player in the Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m), following her confidence-boosting maiden win.

“She is a filly who has been very unlucky throughout her career and the other day we sent her for a kill and she got a kill. She thinks she is a bit alright now,” O’Shea said.

“We were treating her as a sprinter and it’s pretty evident she wants to get over a bit of ground.”

The stable will be chasing consecutive Adrian Knox wins after saluting last year with Good Banter.