Futurity Trophy Day — Copybet
It’s the second of Doncaster’s two-day Futurity Trophy meeting on Saturday, in which the Group 1 feature over a mile has attracted a small but select field of six.
There are eight races scheduled from Town Moor, the action getting underway at 13:30 and concluding at 17:30. The opening three races are to be screened live on ITV and our expert has provided three bets on the card.
Rosario – Doncaster
Roger Teal’s ROSARIO has been unable to add to May’s Goodwood victory in eight subsequent starts, but he’s been performing admirably in competitive handicaps over the past couple of months and looks a major player in the opening sprint maiden.
The four-year-old is unproven on heavy ground, but he’s shown a liking for a soft surface on several occasions, namely when second in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket and when third in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes over today’s course and distance as a juvenile.
He has regularly run to Racing Post Ratings in the high 90s and early 100s this year and, although gradually working his way back up the handicap of late, he’s still well treated on an official mark of 94.
Unlucky not to win the Shergar Cup Dash when the blindfold was removed late in August, he’s continued to knock at the door since, most recently when chasing home the progressive Roach Power on soft ground at Ascot three weeks ago.
Lam Yai – Doncaster
Karl Burke looks to have found an excellent opportunity for his LAM YAI in the Listed Prospect Stakes, the daughter of Lucky Vega having gone close in the Group Firth Of Clyde Stakes at Ayr last month.
A Carlisle maiden winner on soft ground in June, she’s been campaigned at a high level on all three of her starts since, finishing a respectable fourth in a Listed race in Ireland and third in the Ripon Two Year Old Trophy.
She was beaten only a neck at Ayr last time, posting a career-best Racing Post Rating of 94 in the process, and a replication of that in this lesser company will make her very hard to beat.
Action – Doncaster
Aidan O’Brien’s ACTION has plenty of size and scope about him and is very much one to look forward to next season when stepped up to middle distances. However, he showed more than enough when third behind Bow Echo - the current ante-post favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas - in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket last month to suggest he’s capable of being in the mix for the Group 1 Futurity Stakes.
An encouraging third of 15 on his debut over 7f at The Curragh in July, he ground out an all-the-way win over an extended mile at Galway the following month and wasn’t short of support upped to Group 2 company at HQ, sent off at 5/1, despite having a fair bit on his plate according to the figures.
Slowest away, he was always racing behind the bridle under Wayne Lordan, but kept on steadily against the near rail to finish just a length-and-a-half behind George Boughey’s unbeaten winner.
A long striding individual, he briefly got a bit unbalanced in The Dip, but responded well to pressure and improved markedly on his maiden form, bettering his Galway victory by 18lb, according to Racing Post Ratings.