FORMER Saints star Mick Channon hopes it will be game, set and match when he saddles Championship Point for the Epsom Derby tomorrow, while Southampton businessman Jeff Smith will be travelling more in hope than expectation with one of the race's outsiders, Snoqualmie Boy.

Channon, who has trained the winner of a German 2,000 Guineas, has found triumph in an English classic elusive but is bullish about the 16-1 shot owned by tennis fanatic John Livock, who will be surrendering his seat at the French Open championship at Roland Garros.

Championship Point came into the Derby reckoning with a highly impressive display in the Predominate Stakes at Goodwood, showing the unique switchback that is Epsom will not trouble the well-balanced colt who won two of his three races as a juvenile.

Channon has fielded two previous runners in the Derby but they were hardly sighted at the business end but he is adamant of a much better showing from Championship Point, who on breeding should stay the 12- furlong trip better than most.

"I wouldn't swap my horse for anything else," he declared. "He looks to have all the attributes needed to run a big race and has done nothing wrong."

Also hoping it's a case of third time lucky is Jeff Smith, chairman of the Southampton-based AIM group, which manufactures much of the interior of civil aircraft.

Smith, whose familiar purple and blue colours have been borne with distinction by such luminaries such as the brilliant sprinter Lochsong and Chief Singer, came closest to achieving the owner's dream with Norse Dancer who finished fourth in 2003.

In the following year's renewal, The Geezer looked mighty dangerous until his stamina gave out near the one-furlong marker.

Snoqualmie Boy, homebred at Smith's Littleton Stud, looks a forlorn 200-1 shot and although anything might happen on the day, Smith is realistic enough to accept there are better contenders.

"If he finished in the first six, I'd be delighted," he remarked.

"I'm certainly not suggesting he's going to win but he's far better than the odds."

Trainer David Elsworth has a high opinion of the Montjeu colt who romped home at Salisbury last month before being put into his place by Septimus in heavy ground in the Dante at York.

"At Salisbury the ground was good or firm and he was going well at York until he got stuck in the mud and finished third.

He's improving, well balanced and has a bomb-proof temperament but we're going tomorrow relaxed, not anticipating anything."