O’brien pins hope on Luxembourg to hit the target

It cannot be often that Aidan O’brien has reached the dying embers of the Flat season without having landed a Group One with a two-year-old colt, but today’s Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, the last top-level race of the domestic season, offers him a chance to put the record straight with Luxembourg.

O’brien has won the race nine times including with High Chaparral, St Nicholas Abbey and Camelot, Luxembourg’s sire.

After winning his maiden at Killarney, Luxembourg was ridden with lots of confidence at the Curragh last time to win the Beresford Stakes by 4¾ lengths. He will be a short-priced favourite, but it is not a formality.

Mark Johnston’s Royal Patronage has already claimed a notable scalp in Coroebus, a colt Charlie Appleby rates even higher than Native Trail, in the Royal Lodge. He is on a roll and his widest-margin win was on good to soft at Epsom.

Bayside Boy should be better for the extra furlong after his Dewhurst third and he has already proven he likes Doncaster when winning the Champagne Stakes. Imperial Fighter also has form with Coroebus, while Donnacha O’brien’s Sissoko was a wide-margin winner of his maiden.

Jumping returned to Cheltenham yesterday for the first time this autumn with Dan Skelton’s debutant chaser, Third Time Lucki, an impressive winner of the Squareintheair. com Novices’ Chase over two miles.

“I just couldn’t believe it, it’s amazing,” Mike Newbould, the sixyear-old’s owner, said. “I’m chuffed to bits. I’ve come racing here for 30 years and have had plenty of runners, but this is my first winner.”

The death last week of Trevor Hemmings has robbed jumping of one of its great patrons. His green and yellow quartered silks, carried to success in three Grand Nationals, are out today for the first time since.

Cloth Cap, last year’s Hennessy winner, carries them in the 888sport What’s Your Thinking Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, while Vintage Clouds goes in the Edinburgh Gin Chase at Kelso.