Could we see next year's Derby hero? Mogul leads O'Brien Vertem Trophy battalion

Vertem Futurity Trophy (Group 1) | 1m | 2yo (colts and fillies) | ITV4/SSR

Derby clues and illustrious names

This is not a usual running of the final Group 1 of the British Flat season. To see a race of this level skewed so heavily in the favour of one trainer is rare, but to dismiss the outcome as an irrelevance would be incorrect and premature.

Firstly, there could be a new favourite for the Investec Derby at the end of the day with Mogul already occupying a lofty position in the ante-post market, and with there being significant question marks about the ability of the Classic favourite Pinatubo to stay the trip at Epsom.

Then there is the history. The roll of honour includes the likes of Magna Grecia, Saxon Warrior, Kingston Hill, Camelot, St Nicholas Abbey, Authorized, Motivator and High Chaparral this century alone. There is rarely such thing as a 'bad' winner of this race.

Innisfree battles through the mud to win the Beresford StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Leading O'Brien contenders aim to boost Classic claims

Aidan O’Brien made headlines on Monday when it was revealed that 11 of the 12 horses confirmed were from Ballydoyle. He has further whittled down his enviable team to five, with Mogul and Innisfree appearing to stand head and shoulders above their stablemates.

Mogul, the mount of Donnacha O’Brien, who made the most of Ryan Moore’s absence when landing a big-race double on Champions Day at Ascot last weekend, was successful in a Group 2 at Leopardstown last time and is a brother to leading three-year-old Japan.

Innisfree was also a Group 2 winner last time having ploughed through heavy ground to land the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh, albeit his trainer does not necessarily see that as an advantage.

He said: “Everything has gone great with Mogul since he won at Leopardstown. He was a little bit green when he got there but we’re very happy with him.

“Innisfree ran a great race in the Beresford Stakes and he seems to have come out of that race very well as well. He’s won on heavy but I don’t think the ground is going to be ideal for any of them, but that’s the way it is.”

Mogul is a general 8-1 chance for next year’s Derby with Innisfree 33-1 for the colts’ Classic.

Balding and Kameko braced for Ballydoyle onslaught

Kameko (noseband) chases Royal Dornoch (blue cap) home at NewmarketCredit: Edward Whitaker

The one non-Ballydoyle runner in the Vertem Futurity Trophy is Kameko, who came off second best to another O’Brien runner, Royal Dornoch, in the Royal Lodge last time.

Nevertheless, trainer Andrew Balding and owners Qatar Racing are undeterred as they seek a second victory in the race following the success of Elm Park in 2014.

Balding said: “We’re very happy with him. We think he’s come on nicely from Newmarket and we think he’ll be better than he was that day, but the big question mark is the going. We don’t know how he’ll handle it with all the rain that is forecast, but we’ll give it a go and see how we get on.

“There is no point second guessing what anyone else is going to do [tactically] in a race. We’ll ride the horse we think is the best way to get the maximum out of him and take it from there.”

Much has been made of the severely limited British challenge for the Vertem Futurity Trophy, and Balding believes altering when horses need to be entered for the race might help.

“Regardless of who trains them there are five other very classy individuals in this race – they just happen to all be from the same yard,” he said. “Hopefully it’s a one-off and I thought Ralph Beckett made a very valid point when he talked about how early this race closes. I think looking at that would help with the field sizes in the future.”

Iberia (near): likely to play an important role in the Vertem Futurity TrophyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Brien outsiders could play key role

While it is expected that the winner is most likely to come from one of Mogul, Innisfree or Kameko, O’Brien’s three other runners could well play a key role in how the race pans out.

The trainer said: “Iberia ran only last week but he’s come out of that well and seems to be in good form. Louisiana was good at Thurles and Royal County Down is also in good form.”

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