Vertem Futurity Trophy betting
The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a one mile race for two-year-olds at Doncaster in October. It is the last Group 1 race of the flat turf season and is a significant trial for the Classic races. The Vertem Futurity Trophy betting often features some of the leading Derby prospects for the following season.
Reference Point, High Chaparral and Camelot are among those who went on to win the Epsom Derby. Other subsequent Classic successes include Celtic Swing (French Derby), Brian Boru (St Leger) and Saxon Warrior (2000 Guineas).
Vertem Futurity Trophy betting tips
Most recent winners were successful in their previous race. Although there are not that many races for two-year-olds over this distance, it is significant that a large percentage of winners had raced over a mile previously.
Experience is also necessary to win this race, which is often run in soft ground. Most winners had raced at least twice and once in the past four weeks. Most previous winners had an official rating of 100 or higher and many of them had win or placed form in Group races.
It is rare for France to be represented in the Vertem Futurity Trophy. The victory of Criquette Head’s American Post in 2003 was their first since her father won with Green Dancer in 1974.
Aidan O’Brien has ensured that Irish-trained runners are always prominent in the Futurity Trophy odds. Michael Halford also struck for Ireland with Casamento in 2010.
Doncaster is one of the flattest tracks in the country but provides a good test for two-year-olds. The long home straight can put the emphasis on stamina in this race, particularly if the ground is soft.
Vertem Futurity Trophy betting trends
The fine recent record of favourites is an important factor when calculating your Vertem Futurity Trophy bets.
Aidan O’Brien has been the trainer to follow, saddling five winning favourites between 2009 and 2018. He often runs more than one horse in this race but it pays to follow the Vertem Futurity Trophy betting market.
Ibn Khaldun (2007), Casamento (2010) and Elm Park (2014) were all strongly supported Vertem Futurity Trophy betting tips and started favourite.
Marcel broke the dominance of heavily-backed horses in this race when winning at 33/1 in 2015. He was a third winner in the race for Peter Chapple-Hyam after Commander Collins (1998) and Authorized (2006).
Authorized was a shock 25/1 winner in 2006 when the race was staged at Newbury while Doncaster was being redeveloped. The colt was quoted at 16/1 in the Epsom Derby betting immediately after the race. He reappeared to win the Dante Stakes at York and started 5/4 favourite at Epsom.
He won the Derby by five lengths, providing Frankie Dettori with his first winner in the race on his fifteenth ride.
Vertem Futurity Trophy ante-post betting pointers
The Autumn Stakes at Newmarket has been the most significant trial for this race in recent seasons. Ibn Khaldun (2007) and Kingston Hill (2013) both won this race. Magna Grecia finished second to the French-trained Persian King before his battling victory here in 2018.
The best trial in Ireland is the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh. Winners to come on successfully from there include St Nicholas Abbey (2009), Casamento (2010) and Saxon Warrior (2017).
Rivet (2016) was fifth in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket while Elm Park (2014) won the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket on his previous start.
As this race comes at the end of the flat turf season, the winners are often pitched straight into the 2000 Guineas for their next race. Motivator (2004), Authorized (2006), Crowded House (2008) and Elm Park (2014) were aimed at the Derby and ran in the Dante Stakes at York.
The quality of winners produced by the Vertem Futurity Trophy is probably second only to the Dewhurst Stakes. Although first thoughts usually turn to Epsom, both Camelot and Saxon Warrior had enough speed to win the 2000 Guineas.
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Vertem Futurity Trophy history and memorable winners
The Vertem Futurity Trophy was founded by Phil Bull of Timeform in 1961 and called the Timeform Gold Cup. It has been run in the name of several different sponsors since, notably as the Racing Post Trophy from 1989 to 2017. It was renamed the Vertem Futurity Trophy in 2018.
Early winners of this race include Ribocco (1966), Vaguely Noble (1967) and High Top (1971).
Vaguely Noble won the Vertem Futurity Trophy by seven lengths and went on to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1968. He defeated the brilliant Epsom Derby winner Sir Ivor by three lengths at Longchamp.
There was drama in the 1980 Vertem Futurity Trophy when odds-on favourite Shergar suffered a shock defeat. He was beaten by Beldale Flutter on his second racecourse appearance. The Aga Khan’s colt won the Derby by a record margin of 10 lengths the following season.
Sir Henry Cecil set a training record of 10 winners in this race between 1969 and 1993. Reference Point (1986) was the only one to go on to win a Classic as a three-year-old and the first Vertem Futurity Stakes winner to do so.
Cecil’s other winners include Hello Gorgeous (1979), Lanfranco (1984) and Kings Theatre (1993).
The most astonishing performance in the history of the race came from Celtic Swing in 1993. He was a hot Vertem Futurity Trophy betting tip after winning his previous race by 8 lengths at Ascot.
Celtic Swing destroyed the opposition and powered clear to win by 12 lengths. Although he won the 1984 French Derby, he was not quite the flying machine that many had hoped.
High Chaparral (2001) and Motivator (2004) also went on to win the Derby. Brian Boru (2002) and Kingston Hill (2013) won the St Leger at Doncaster.
Camelot (2011) came close to becoming the first English Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky in 1970. He won the 2000 Guineas and the Derby but was denied by Encke in the St Leger.
Camelot, Motivator, St Nicholas Abbey and Authorized were all sired by leading Coolmore stallion Montjeu. Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery both rode five Vertem Futurity Trophy winners. Andrea Atzeni rode four successive winners here between 2013 and 2016.
Vertem Futurity Trophy betting 2019
It is difficult to look beyond Aidan O’Brien’s stable for your Vertem Futurity Trophy tips. Magna Grecia provided him with his ninth winner in the race in 2018, within one of equalling Sir Henry Cecil’s record.
The horse had been a supplementary entry for the race following his excellent run at Newmarket in the Autumn Stakes.
As well as the Derby victories of Camelot and High Chaparral, those winners also included Brian Boru, Saxon Warrior and St Nicholas Abbey.
It is worth remembering that Saxon Warrior beat Roaring Lion who proved to be a champion over 10 furlongs. Surprisingly, John Gosden is yet to win the Vertem Futurity Trophy, but it is surely only a matter of time.
Godolphin have only won this race twice in the past but enjoyed a highly successful season in 2018. Saeed bin Suroor was successful with Medaaly (1996) and Ibn Khaldun (2007) and both he and Charlie Appleby are likely to have entries here.
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