Invictus Gold targets hat-trick of wins at York

The £70,000 Listed race, staged over six furlongs, is one of the highlights of a seven-race card on what is the final afternoon’s racing of the season on the Knavesmire.

Trained by Tom Clover Invictus Gold will line up in the 1.30 curtain-raiser with glowing credentials after back-to-back victories at Southwell and Newmarket.

The latter success, on the July Course, was particularly impressive as the gelding skipped away in the closing strides to land a novice race by two lengths in the hands of Neil Callan.

The same jockey will be aboard at York where likely favourite Invictus Gold faces eight rivals on rain-softened ground.

Newmarket-based Clover said: “I’ve been very pleased with him – he’s trained well. His homework has been really pleasing and I would hope he’d shape up well.

“It’s that time of year when it’s hard to go in with lots of confidence – just because horses can tend to run a bit in and out this time of year. It’s a step up in grade but I feel that he deserves to take his chance in this sort of a race.

“At the moment the ground is soft, heavy in places and I don’t think there’s all that much rain forecast.

“So, if it’s just soft ground, it’s hard to be certain but I think he’d be okay,” he added.

This weekend’s race is likely to play a key part in what lies ahead in the near future for Invictus Gold.

Clover added: “Our plan is to go Saturday and then think about what we might do in the winter.

“We’ll probably give him an easy two weeks after Saturday and then think whether we want to try and aim him towards something nice on the all-weather.”

The £100,000 feature race of Saturday’s card is the Coral Sprint Trophy Heritage Handicap.

Also staged over six furlongs, this ultra-competitive race pits emerging three-year-old speedsters against their hardened elders.

Newmarket trainer William Haggas sends smart prospect Germanic and fellow three-year-old Room Service from the Yorkshire stable of trainer Kevin Ryan is also likely to feature at the top end of the market.

Strike Red will be among those from the older-horse contingent to attract interest, having come a narrowly-beaten second over course and distance at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival in the Constantine Handicap.

The two-day fixture gets underway on Friday at 1.30pm with the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Autumn Handicap.

Detain emerged as a real live player for the William Hill Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on October 26 with an authoritative win at Kempton on Wednesday.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained juvenile had won by two lengths on his debut at the Sunbury venue in August and was conceding a 7lb penalty in the second division of the seven-furlong novice stakes.

As a result, the sponsors cut him to 7-1 from 20s for the final Group One of the UK season.