MAGNA ON A MISSION

AIDAN O’BRIEN has captured the Group One Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster more times than an Eskimo has devoured fish suppers, so the lightly-raced MAGNA GRECIA (4.05) will carry my hard-earned with Donnacha O’Brien in the plate.

This son of Invincible Spirit bolted up over seven furlongs at Naas in late September on his racecourse bow. He then ran Andre Fabre’s highly-regarded Persian King to a Gregory Peck in a Group Three affair at Newmarket a fortnight ago. That was over today’s journey and in a very fast time.

If the two-year-old takes another step forward he will be very hard to beat.

Roger Varian, right, is another top-class trainer who has his horses in great heart so don’t miss SAN DONATO (1.45) when he attempts to complete his hat-trick in the Listed Doncaster Stakes.

This youngster showed a willing attitude to snare a novice event by a short head over today’s trip at Haydock Park in early September, before stepping up on that effort when hosing up by four-and-a-half lengths from a previous winner at Kempton Park.

YOUNG RASCAL (2.20) likes racing at Newbury as he boasts a 2-2 record at the Berkshire venue, and he showed plenty of guts to get up in the shadow of the post to land a Group Three contest here last month.

It comes as no surprise that William Haggas has decided to run his three-year-old under a 3lb penalty in the Group Three Teddington Royal British Legion Stakes back at the same track.

The extra furlong of this 1m4f trip should see him in an even better light and Jim Crowley, who is back on board, gave him a cracking ride last time.

The Group Three Molson Coors Stakes (formerly the Horris Hill Stakes) has thrown up some top-class winners in the past, but you have to go back to 1989 – and Tirol – to find the last two-year-old to take this before going on to win the 2,000 Guineas.

With 11 youngsters facing the starter, ALMUFTI (2.50) will carry my each-way wonga at around 10-1.