SHOULD Atlantic Waves win this afternoon's £1.25m Epsom Derby for trainer Mark Johnston it won't be down to the current climate because the weather has been dreadful at Middleham over the past couple of weeks.

"I've never known a spring so wet and cold," shivered Johnston as we stood side by side on the Low Moor watching Atlantic Waves at work while being lashed by hailstones the size of frozen peas.

It's not an ideal preparation for one of the world's greatest Flat races and you wouldn't normally expect a dismal four degrees centigrade on a late May morning, but our external car temperature gauges confirmed the worst.

It was positively perishing and one could hardly blame Atlantic Waves for holding his head slightly awkwardly as the classy colt faced the teeth of a howling gale and cantered seven furlongs under regular rider Hayley Brough.

"I've never been totally happy with his head carriage," explained Johnston, a proud Scotsman who sets the highest of high standards and seeks perfection in virtually every walk of life.

Head up in the air or not, Atlantic Waves still showed courage beyond the call of duty to repel the cavalry when landing Newmarket's nine-furlong Listed Fielden Stakes in April.

Rider Joe Fanning had his mount near the front of the pack throughout and just when it looked as if they were about to be swamped inside the final furlong, Atlantic Waves found another gear and out-battled his rivals.

"I thought he was getting well on top passing the winning line and it certainly settled the issue that he needed to be stepped up in trip, both Bruce Raymond and I agreed on that," he added.

Raymond, the one-time leading jockey, is racing manager for the Maktoum family's Gainsborough Stud and also advises the likes of Jaber Abdullah, the Dubai-based owner of Atlantic Waves.

Strictly speaking, last month's Group 2 extended mile-and-a-quarter Dante Stakes at York represents the recognised stepping-stone en route to the Derby, but Jaber preferred to give that option a swerve.

"I'd rather have run in the Dante because jumping from Listed company, straight to Group 1 level, is not a natural progression and something we wouldn't normally consider," observed Johnston.

An integral part of Johnston's game plan was to take advantage of the so-called "breakfast with the stars" offer by Epsom's executive to exercise over the Derby course a week ago last Thursday.

"I'm delighted we brought him all the way to Epsom," he declared immediately after the spin, adding: "It was very soft, however Joe (Fanning) reckoned he went through it well enough.

"Ideally I would want it faster on top but, rest assured, I'll be walking every inch of the track on the morning of the race to find out where the best ground is."

Dedicated followers of team Johnston's fortunes will know they rarely miss a trick, a point underlined by the fact he reports the three-year-olds' weight to be "spot-on" for today's ultimate test.

"Tactically the main thing I'll impress on Joe is not to go too quickly early on because of the steep uphill first two furlongs. More mistakes are made and races won and lost at that crucial stage, compared with the downhill stretch."

Having won the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas with Mister Baileys (1994) and Attraction (2004), the stable needs the Derby plus St Leger to complete the full set of English Classics, a task arguably not beyond the capabilities of Atlantic Waves.

"Although the yard is not firing on all cylinders I refuse to blame the inclement weather; some of the other trainers in Middleham have been going really well lately.

"Atlantic Waves is a nice big imposing horse and being by Sadler's Wells out of a Shirley Heights mare, he's got the perfect Derby pedigree.

"It's in the lap of the gods now and we'll find how good he is on the day."