Derby favourite Luxembourg impressing trainer Aidan O’Brien ahead of Doncaster date

The final domestic Group One race of the year, O’Brien has already won the celebrated contest on nine occasions – one short of the record held by the late Sir Henry Cecil.

Luxembourg, whose sire is 2011 winner Camelot, was impressing on his racecourse debut at Killarney in July before stepping up in class at the Curragh last month when dominating his rivals in the Group Two Beresford Stakes. Two of O’Brien’s winners in this race – Camelot and High Chaparral – have gone on to land the Derby itself and the Ballydoyle trainer clearly holds Luxembourg in high regard.

“We were delighted with him when he won the first time,” said the trainer following publication of the big race declarations.

“He was a very green baby when he won, he looked very nice and he’s had a little bit of time. He’s a big, rangy horse, he travels very easily usually through his races. He finds things very easy, he’s very easy to train and very natural really.

“I suppose he’s a big, scopey horse really with a lot of quality and a lot of quality to him to look at.”

He added: “I think when (his sire) Camelot won this contest he’d only run once, this fella has had a run in between. The Doncaster race is a very prestigious race, it’s a flat mile so they have to have quick feet and they have to stay as well.

“At the same time it’s a tough race but they come out of it well, it’s not a slog, you have to travel, it’s a flat track and you would learn a lot about horse.

“This year’s race is no different, it’s a very strong, competitive race.

“There are horses with plenty of form in it, horses with plenty of experience really.”

A big danger is Middleham trainer Mark Johnston’s Royal Patronage who won York’s Ebor meeting under Jason Hart before charging home to beat the well-regarded Coroebus in the Royal Lodge at Newmarket.

Roger Varian’s Bayside Boy also brings a high level of form, having won Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes on St Leger day under David Egan, one of the rising stars of 2021, before finishing third in the Dewhurst a fortnight ago.

Imperial Fighter, trained by Andrew Balding, bids to make it third time lucky at Pattern level after finishing second to the aforementioned Royal Patronage in York’s Acomb Stakes.

Jim Bolger won last season’s Vertem Futurity Trophy with Mac Swiney and is this year represented by Leopardstown maiden winner McTigue.

Bullet Force (Karl Burke), Hannibal Barca (Brian Meehan) and Sissoko (Donnacha O’Brien) complete the octet.

Meanwhile Dan Skelton is looking forward to giving Third Time Lucki his debut over fences at Cheltenham’s season-opening meeting today.

He reports the six-year-old to be ready to return to the fray after a long break since he signed off over the smaller obstacles with a creditable fourth-placed finish in the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April.

“I’m really happy with him. He’s done lots of jumping. I’ve given him a wind op and he loves decent ground. He’s got a bit of Cheltenham form and I think he’ll go very well,” he said.