TODAY’S Doncaster card was nearly a write off yesterday and might still be this morning after a 7:30am inspection. A rescheduling of the Group 1 Kameko Futurity Trophy (2.10) might well play into the hands of Charlie Appleby, whose Ancient Wisdom has been thrown in here last minute after an impressive Autumn Stakes win two weeks back.

The Dubawi colt is bidding to somewhat resurrect Appleby’s two-year-old season, which has largely been one to forget.

The Malton Paddocks trainer has returned 36 juvenile wins this season, well below par, and brought into context by his 60 juvenile wins last term.

Into the autumn springs some hope and Ancient Wisdom, who cost €2 million, was most impressive in his Group 3 at Newmarket, a race his trainer and owners like to win, Appleby having taken five of the previous seven and Godolphin seven of the previous eight.

In contrast, Aidan O’Brien is having a fine season with his juveniles. He has won five Group 1s with two-year-olds so far, his best return at this stage of the season since 2017, his record breaking season - Saxon Warrior gave him his seventh juvenile Group 1 in this race that year.

If someone told you earlier in the season O’Brien would hit that figure, you’d have bet odds-on Diego Velazquez, the 2.4 million guineas purchase, would have contributed, but as it happens, O’Brien and the lads are in somewhat bonus territory now, mostly through the superb ability shown by City Of Troy.

However this Frankel colt has his chance to shine today, following the same route as Auguste Rodin last season. The subsequent Derby winner had won the Champions Juvenile Stakes comfortably, if not impressively, before having to face heavy ground at Doncaster, which is the exact same situation for Diego Velazquez today.

It’s a Godolphin v Coolmore multi-million euro two-year-old colt clash to savour yet for a large section of racing fans, Cheltenham will be the focus today.

The showcase meeting will whet the appetite for the season but there are quality betting contests in store, none more so than the opening two-mile handicap chase, a £60,000 contest.

Gary Moore’s hat-trick-seeking Haddes Des Obeaux topped the market yesterday evening, but there was support brewing for course-and-distance winner Before Midnight, now in the hands of Fergal O’Brien, who was pleasantly surprised with the 10-year-old’s seasonal/stable debut performance to finish fourth at Chepstow two weeks ago.

“He does have form on soft and heavy ground from a long time ago, but I expected him to need it a bit, maybe finish fifth or sixth and come on for the run, but he was actually bang there turning in,” said O’Brien.

“He probably ended up having a harder race than we hoped for, but he’s come out of that very well, he seems very well in himself and Ben Sutton came in and schooled him on Thursday morning and he jumped very well, so we’ll take our chance.”