DONCASTER, England – Aidan O’Brien will look to take another mammoth step closer to a ninth British trainers’ title when he saddles three in the final Group 1 of the season, the William Hill Futurity Trophy on Oct 24.

The Irish maestro has won the £275,000 (S$470,000) Doncaster race over 1,600m a staggering 12 times already and looks to hold an all-conquering hand in Saturday’s renewal, with Noble Exhibit leading the charge alongside Giant Sequoia and Sergei Diaghilev.

A winner at Punchestown second time out, Noble Exhibit will aim to back up his win in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes (1,600m) back at The Curragh on Sept 26, while Sergei Diaghilev backs up just 14 days after his gallant second to the highly-touted Rock Montreal in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes (1,600m) at Newmarket on Oct 10.

Giant Sequoia landed the Group 2 Futurity Stakes (1,400m) in Ireland on Aug 22 but will head to Doncaster on something of a revival mission, having failed to land a blow when only sixth in the Group 1 National Stakes (1,600m) at The Curragh last time on Sept 13.

In a bid to keep his hopes of a first trainers’ title alive, Andrew Balding will saddle the once-raced Salisbury winner Gran Dia.

While O’Brien looks to have a stranglehold on the prize, Balding is no stranger to claiming Futurity glory having saddled both Elm Park (2014) and Kameko (2019) to success in recent years.

Gran Dia’s path from maiden win to Group 1 level is unorthodox, but his connections are unfazed.

“After he won at Salisbury we discussed the options and there is a shortage of races he could run in. They’ve been very happy with him since Salisbury and the plan is to run,” said the racing manager Sean Graham to At The Races.

“He’s a horse who has won a maiden going straight into a Group 1 and we’re under no illusions how difficult that will be.

“But we want to give him a second run before the end of the year, unless you travel with him.

“We’re going to be taking on battle-hardened two-year-olds who have runs under their belt and our fellow has only had one. It’ll be very much a learning curve for him.

“But we hope he shows enough to think we can be dreaming with him over the winter.”

The home team will be strengthened by Karl Burke’s Burning Up, winner of two mile events at Haydock before a second in the Group 2 Royal Lodge (1,600m) on Sept 26, and Charlie Appleby’s recent Canadian Grade 1 Summer Stakes (1,600m) scorer Al Hudaiba.

William Muir and Chris Grassick’s well-regarded Breacher, who ran third to Desert Castle and Sergei Diaghilev in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes (1,600m) at Doncaster on Sept 12, will step up to a mile for the first time back on the Town Moor. RACING AND SPORTS