Luxembourg to take Trophy triumph today

Luxembourg is expected to provide Aidan O’brien with a joint-record 10th victory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.

The Ballydoyle handler has saddled two subsequent Derby winners to land the final Group One of the British Flat season in High Chaparral (2001) and Camelot (2011).

Brian Boru struck gold in 2002 before returning to Doncaster to win the St Leger the following season, while Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia went on to win the 2000 Guineas as three-yearolds.

It is fairly clear then that Luxembourg has plenty to live up to as he puts his unbeaten record on the line on Town Moor, but he has looked a bit special in two starts so far.

A son of the aforementioned Camelot, the 150,000 guineas purchase beat a horse now rated 100 in Tuwaiq on his Killarney debut.

Luxembourg then stepped up in class for last month’s Beresford Stakes at the Curragh - a race O’brien has farmed over the years - and produced a dominant display that saw him promoted to Derby favouritism.

Royal Patronage, who mowed down subsequent Autumn Stakes winner Coroebus in the Royal Lodge at Newmarket last month, certainly merits respect - but Luxembourg can complete his hat-trick and cement his Classic claims.

Listed honours are up for grabs in the following Virgin Bet Doncaster Stakes, for which the Ralph Beckett-trained Deodar is a fascinating contender.

A typically well-bred product of the late Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms operation, the gelded son of Bated Breath created a big impression on his racecourse introduction at Newbury last month.