Testing ground likely for Futurity Trophy at Doncaster after 55mm of rain in one day last week

Testing conditions appear guaranteed for Saturday's Kameko Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster after the track was hit with 55mm of rain last Friday.

Although the ground improved slightly on Monday morning to heavy, soft in places (from heavy), clerk of the course Paul Barker is not expecting much change to the going for Britain's final Group 1 of the season.

"We're just a little bit disappointed with the amount of rain we got on Friday," said Barker on Monday. "We had a bit of rain on Saturday but it was a relatively dry weekend and we'll remain dry today before a band of rain this evening.

"Once that has passed through tomorrow we're set for a reasonably dry Wednesday and Thursday, with some possible showers late Thursday."

The two-day meeting at Doncaster starts on Friday and there is unlikely to be any notable improvement in ground conditions for the £200,000 Futurity Trophy.

"I don't think it'll be much different to where we are now," said Barker. "Although we've got a couple of dry days, we don't dry that much and we've got showers about as well. I'd imagine we'd be somewhere near where we are now."

Diego Velazquez: favourite for the Futurity TrophyCredit: Patrick McCann

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Diego Velazquez, a winner of both his starts with those coming on good ground, is ante-post favourite for the two-year-old contest, for which Godolphin's Autumn Stakes winner Ancient Wisdom was added to the field at Monday's five-day confirmation stage.

O'Brien won last year's race, which was run on heavy ground, with subsequent Derby winner Auguste Rodin. 

"I heard last year we had the lowest GoingStick reading ever recorded for the Futurity Trophy and it was heavy ground, but it didn't stop this year's Derby winner going through it nicely," said Barker.

"It would be nice to see some quality two-year-olds again and hopefully they go on to progress like last year's winner and other previous winners have done.  

"It's out first meeting back since the Sunday of the Leger festival and the track has had a nice break, with a bit of maintenance done to it, and we've got a good covering of grass."

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