KAM RAIDER

AIDAN O’BRIEN could take his domination to another level on Saturday but he will have to see off sole UK entry Kameko in the Vertem Futurity Trophy.

The Irish genius trains 11 of the 12 hopefuls in the Doncaster Group One.

It would be a 10th victory in the contest and present him with a serious chance of taking the British Flat trainers’ championship.

John Gosden remains 3-10 favourite to take the title but O’Brien has been cut to 9-4 from 5-2 with Paddy Power.

But despite O’Brien’s army of runners, connections of the Andrew Balding-trained Kameko are full of fighting talk.

David Redvers, racing manager for the colt’s owners Qatar Racing, said: “You have to take them on and it doesn’t matter who trains them.

“All we’ve got to hope for is luck in running. He’s gone close in his last two races, so he deserves a change of fortune.”

Doncaster’s clerk of the course Roderick Duncan was at a loss to explain the Ballydoyle monopoly.

“We’ve had no significant rain for six days,” he said. “I’m looking to see if the other horses ran recently or have other options, but it doesn’t appear they have. I don’t know what to say. I’m lost for an explanation.”

Meanwhile, Al Dancer, winner of the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December and the Betfair Hurdle at Ascot in February, will be the star attraction when racing resumes at Cheltenham on Friday.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, the grey’s trainer, said: “We were originally going to go to Newton Abbot with him before the meeting was abandoned but we have been happy with his preparation.

“We are looking forward to getting him started over fences and he has schooled well.”

British hopes in next month’s Melbourne Cup were dealt a blow after the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Verdon and Gold Mount from the Ian Williams stable were injured during Saturday’s Caulfield Cup in Australia.

Cross Counter, winner of the race last year for Newmarket trainer Charlie Appleby, is pleasing his connections for the “race that stops a nation” on November 5.