James Doyle booked for Diego Velazquez Trophy bid

Tony Kelshaw
October 23, 2023 5:00 pm

Jockey replaces suspended Ryan Moore on Saturday.

James Doyle has been booked for the plum ride on Kameko Futurity Trophy favourite Diego Velazquez at Doncaster on Saturday.

His trainer Aidan O’Brien has an enviable record in the Town Moor Group One and is responsible for five of the 11 possibles.

The Ballydoyle handler has won the race a record 11 times already and is going for three in a row on the back of Luxembourg (2021) and Auguste Rodin last year and also has Battle Cry, Chief Little Rock, Capulet and Henry Adams engaged.

Doyle partnered O’Brien’s Warm Heart to a Group One double this season in the Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille.

James Doyle (left and Aidan O'Brien have teamed up to good effect this season — James Doyle (left and Aidan O’Brien have teamed up to good effect this season (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Diego Velazquez looks the main one for the Futurity Trophy on Saturday,” said O’Brien.

“We are very happy with him since his last run and James Doyle has been booked for him. We will probably run one other horse in the race and we are looking forward to it.”

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin supplemented impressive Autumn Stakes scorer Ancient Wisdom as expected having pleased in a weekend workout.

Appleby said: “He has come out of that piece of work in good shape so we were keen to supplement this morning. The ground is looking like it will be soft at Doncaster and I feel like he is going to be a very strong contender.”

Roger Teal is looking forward to taking on the big guns with Dancing Gemini, who followed up a Newbury maiden win by romping away with the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes on Town Moor.

“Everything seems spot on with him and it’s all good at this stage,” said the Lambourn trainer. “He was very impressive at Doncaster last time and we’re looking forward to giving it a go.

“I think the mile will suit him, as he certainly wasn’t stopping there over seven furlongs – and when he won at Newbury, he was only just getting going in the closing stages.

“Soft ground obviously wouldn’t be a problem as it was pretty testing up there last month but, looking at the weather forecast, it could well end up heavy and that is always a bit of an unknown.

“But all we can do is roll our sleeves up and get on with it. It’s a good race and something like this is never going to be easy, but we’ll be giving it a real go.”

John and Thady Gosden could be represented by God’s Window, a course and distance maiden winner on soft ground when getting the better of Ben Brookhouse’s Redhot Whisper, who could reoppose.

David Menuisier will bid to follow up Sunway’s Group One success in France on Sunday by saddling Devil’s Point and outsider Deira Mile could make his debut for Owen Burrows after being switched from Charlie Johnston.