Odds say you can bank on Yucatan

The wheels may have come off Capri, but Aidan O’Brien has a fine replacement for today’s Racing Post Trophy in (Doncaster, 3.50). Initial markets for this afternoon’s Group One prize installed the O’Brien-trained Capri as a warm favourite, but by the middle of the week Yucatan, runner-up to Capri at the Curragh, had usurped his stablemate as market leader.

Unsurprisingly given the betting patterns and, despite being an intended runner, Capri was not declared on Thursday, leaving O’Brien and Ryan Moore to team up with the son of Galileo on Town Moor.

Informed punters have certainly taken the hint that Yucatan is Ballydoyle’s No 1 hope and he could well give his handler an incredible 22nd Group One prize this season.

A good ground maiden win preceded a tilt at the Beresford Stakes last time, but heavy ground did not look the ideal surface for the selection, who still dug deep to be runner-up behind Capri. hopefully, the chance to tackle some decent ground will induce further improvement and Yucatan can account for Rivet, the chief danger.

Trainer Neil Mulholland harbours hopes that FOX NORTON (Cheltenham, nb, 3.30) can graduate to become a Champion Chase contender and, if that faith is to be justified, his six-year-old needs to be competitive in races like this.

The selection needs good ground to show his best so a dry spell should play to his strengths and he was only beaten 11 lengths by Douvan in the Arkle last March.

TOP OF THE TOWN (Cheltenham, nap, 4.05) destroyed a decent Bellewstown field in August and, although up 19lb for that win, he makes plenty of appeal in the Pertemps qualifier given the speed figure he clocked that day.