Luxembourg 4-1 for Derby after cosy Vertem Futurity win

Luxembourg cemented his position at the head of the ante-post lists for next year’s Derby with a clear-cut victory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien had saddled nine previous winners of the final Group One of the British Flat season – one short of the record by the late, great Sir Henry Cecil.

Among that number were a pair of Derby winners in High Chaparral and Camelot, a St Leger hero in Brian Boru and two subsequent 2000 Guineas winners in Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia.

Luxembourg, a son of Camelot, was the 4-6 favourite to add his name to the illustrious roll of honour, having looked every inch a top-class colt in the making in two previous starts.

Previously successful on his Killarney debut and in the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh, Ryan Moore’s mount travelled like a dream up the straight mile on Town Moor before readily extending clear.

Sissoko, trained by O’Brien’s son Donnacha, did his best to make a race of it, while Champagne Stakes winner and Dewhurst third Bayside Boy finished strongly after a slightly troubled run.

But Luxembourg left nobody in any doubt he was much the best horse in the race as he passed the post with almost two lengths in hand.

Paddy Power swiftly trimmed the winner’s odds for next year’s Derby at Epsom to 4-1 from 8-1, as did BetVictor (from 5-1), while he is 6-1 from 8-1 for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Moore said: “I’m delighted with him. He’s a really smart horse, very scopey. He travelled easy. I lost my cover at halfway and I had to keep going. He took me to the front. When I asked him the question, he just waited a bit.

“I grabbed hold of the him the last 100 yards and he found a bit more.

“That’s three races and three wins. We’re delighted with what he’s done and he’s an exciting horse to look forward. It couldn’t have gone smoother and there’s more improvement to come.”

O’Brien raised the possibility of Luxembourg running in both the Guineas and the Derby next season.

He said: “He would have preferred a stronger gallop, but he’s a high cruiser and he got there a little bit after halfway. He was very babyish in front, but he’s a lovely horse. You’d have to be delighted.

“The lads will decide, but what he’s able to do over four furlongs at home says that he probably wouldn’t have any problems starting in the Guineas if that’s what the lads wanted to do.

“He’s been coming along slowly an he’s got a lot of class. Ryan was impressed with him.

“He’s always been very exciting. The work he’s been doing he shouldn’t have been able to do over four furlongs, but that is what good horses usually do.

“He has a big, open stride, but that’s what good horses have. Like human beings – the good athletes cover the most ground, don’t they?”

Reflecting on the season as a whole, the trainer added: “We’re very happy with the year. Someone told me that was our 18th Group One and we have won seven Classics.

“We lost loads of races, we won a few – that’s the way it is. It has to go around and everyone has to live, everyone has to get a bit of it and we’re delighted when we do get a bit of it.

“I might have made mistakes with horses this year. Maybe we ran them in the wrong races, sometimes horses were disappointing and sometimes they surprise you. There are a lot of different variables.”

Asked for his highlight of the season, O’Brien said “The filly (Snowfall) was very special at Epsom, but it has to be St Mark’s Basilica. We haven’t had the like of him since Galileo, and we might never have the like of him again. We were so lucky to find him.”

Flaming Rib took his winning run to four when successfully stepping up to Listed company in the Virgin Bet Doncaster Stakes on Town Moor.

The Tom Dascombe-trained two-year-old showed a likeable attitude with a determined all-the-way performance to take his tally for the year to five.

Flaming Rib (13-8) was hard-pressed by market rival, Deodar, the 6-4 favourite, in the closing stages but would not give way and landed the spoils by a length in the hands of Pierre-Louis Jamin.

Dascombe’s assistant, Colin Gorman, said: “He’s been great, he’s won four on the bounce now. He’s been straight forward and he has improved as the year has gone on. It’s been tough for two-year-olds. He’s rated 108 now and it takes a fair bit to get a two-year-old to that rating. He’s very tough.

“As Pierre-Louis said after the Chester run, he manages to pick up twice in a race and in my book and Tom’s, the horses that do that are good horses.

“He puts his head down and battles it out as well. He will get seven furlongs, but do we need to? I don’t know, he does it well as it is.

“I’d say that will be it for the year. He could be a Commonweaalth Cup horse.”

Trainer David Barron and jockey Connor Beasley enjoyed a double with Mossbawn and Another Batt.

Mossbawn initiated the brace when striding away from his rivals in the final furlong to take the first division of the virginbet.com Handicap in smooth style.

Connor Beasley had the David Barron-trained gelding on the heels of the leaders before giving him the office and the 4-1 co-favourite went on score by two and a half lengths from Deputy.

“He just got a little bit warm the last couple of runs but today he was nice and relaxed. It worked out well because he had something to aim at,” said Beasley.

“He didn’t see it out the last day, but he’s seen it out really strongly and has progressed as the year has gone on.”

All the better for a recent run at York following a 70-day break, Another Batt bounced back to form in the Scott Dobson Memorial Handicap.

The 9-2 joint-favourite got the better of long-time leader Mo’Assess a furlong out and pulled away to score by a length and a quarter from Orbaan.

Beasley said: “He ran a good race at York the last day, he was just drawn a little bit wide. I spoke to the boss this morning and he filled me with confidence. He said he was in bouncing form at home and he relishes these conditions.

“He travelled into it very well. He had the right ones to aim at and when I asked him a furlong and a half down, he really stuck to his task and went about his job really well.”

Copper Knight (22-1) and Boundless Power (4-1 favourite) treated racegoers to a dead-heat in the Virgin Bet Handicap.

Boundless Power, ridden by Rossa Ryan, led in the final furlong but David Allan got a fine run out of Copper Knight and their pair could not be separated.

Tim Easterby, trainer of Copper Knight, said: “He’s run a super race. Hard ground, soft ground, it doesn’t matter.

“He’s a superstar. Every race he’s there. That’s it for the year.”

Boundless Power’s trainer Mick Appleby said: “He’s a very good horse and I think he’s going to be a top sprinter.

“He travels into it so well, but you have to produce him as late as possible. I’m not sure if he’ll run again this year.”

Ryan Moore, triumphant on Luxembourg in the Vertem Futurity Trophy, was also in double-winning form having struck earlier with Aaddeey (2-1 favourite) in the Vertem Very Different Stockbrokers Handicap.