HAMPSHIRE-TRAINED Salford City will drop back in trip after his fine fifth in the Vodafone Derby at Epsom yesterday.

But whether that will be in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on July 3 or the Juddmonte International at York on August 17 has yet to be decided by trainer David Elsworth.

The Michael Tabor-owned colt, trained at Whitsbury near Fordingbridge, ran North Light to five lengths in the blue riband on what was his first venture beyond a mile, and Elsworth said yesterday: "He ran well, but he didn't appear to stay. He came there to be near enough second and then ran out of gas.

"I got excited and thought we were going to be in the three. But it didn't happen and we are going to have to shorten him up a bit (in trip).

"He's a very good horse and it was felt that if he had a chance he ought to take it, it just didn't work out."

Salford City jockey Johnny Murtagh reflected: "We were travelling well and I thought we had a real chance, but he didn't stay. I was tracking Frankie (Dettori) and had a beautiful run round. I came to deliver a challenge and got to within two lengths of Kieren (Fallon) at one stage, but he just died on me."

Elsworth added: "The Eclipse is a race we'll put him in, but he's been on the go since Christmas and it might be better if we left him for the Juddmonte and a campaign in the second half of the season.

"But that's just an initial gut feeling, we don't have to make any decisions just yet."

Elsworth was also delighted by the effort of his maiden Massif Centrale, sent off at 100-1 but who was far from disgraced in finishing 11th.

"He ran a hell of a race. He was only beaten 12 and a half lengths by the winner, seven lengths by my other horse and he was 19 lengths in front of the other maiden (Coming Again)," he said.

"Everybody said that's where he was entitled to finish, but he's run a good race and it's not like he was tailed off - he's run a proper race.

"He is coming on in leaps and bounds."

Elsworth will be represented by Norse Dancer in the Group One Queen Anne at Royal Ascot a week tomorrow. The son of Halling has run a string of good races in top company without getting his head in front, being placed in both the 2000 Guineas and Derby last season and going down by less than a length in the Judmonte Lockinge last time out.