THE addition of Ancient Wisdom to today’s Kameko Futurity Trophy adds an extra dimension.

The Dubawi colt, only third behind Rosallion in a listed race at Ascot in July, couldn’t have been much more impressive than he was in winning the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket two weeks ago.

Today’s race was not on his radar before then, but you can understand the about-turn.

Bred for middle distances, he handled the ground well at Newmarket, and that was the softest ground on which he had ever raced. He obviously goes into the race in good form, and he hasn’t had an arduous campaign.

Charlie Appleby’s colt has usurped Diego Velazquez as favourite for today’s Group 1 contest, but that may not be a true reflection of their respective chances.

Aidan O’Brien’s colt was green on his racecourse debut at the Curragh in August, but he still won by four and three-quarter lengths.

Stepped up in grade after that, he showed a really likeable attitude in winning the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend.

That form is working out really well too. Runner-up Capulet, the winner’s stable companion, wasn’t beaten far in the Royal Lodge Stakes next time, while third-placed Atlantic Coast won the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes next time and fourth-placed Deepone won the Beresford Stakes.

Immediately after the Leopardstown race, Aidan O’Brien nominated today’s race as his next possible target. Today is not an after-thought, it has been the (semi-)plan for the last seven weeks.

Same path

Auguste Rodin followed the same path last year, won the Champions Juvenile at Leopardstown, then went to Doncaster and danced in in the Futurity, and this is a race that Aidan O’Brien has won 11 times, more times than any other trainer.

Charlie Appleby has never won it, and Godolphin – who have won seven of the last eight renewals of the Autumn Stakes – have won the Futurity Trophy just twice. It is easy to argue that Diego Velazquez should be favourite for today’s race.

That said, the value of the race may lie with Dancing Gemini. Roger Teal’s colt was 10 lengths behind Ancient Wisdom when they finished fifth and third respectively behind Rosallion in that listed race at Ascot in July – a race that is working out ridiculously well – but he has improved dramatically since then.

A good winner of his maiden at Newbury next time, he stepped back up into listed company last time, and ran out an impressive winner of the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes.

He travelled like the most likely winner from a long way out that day, he was the only horse who was still on the bridle as they raced inside the two-furlong marker, and he found as much as it looked like he would find.

Streaked clear

He streaked clear of his rivals inside the final furlong and won by over four lengths in the end, clocking a time that was almost three seconds faster than the time that the fillies clocked over the same course and distance half an hour earlier.

That was the softest ground on which Dancing Gemini had ever raced, and he thrived on it, putting up the best performance of his life. Also, he proved that day that he could operate at Doncaster, and on soft ground at Doncaster.

He has an extra furlong to go today, but he was strong all the way to the line last time, and he is by Camelot and out of a mare who won over a mile as a juvenile and who has a middle-distance pedigree. He should get today’s trip all right, and there is every chance that he will improve for it.

Roger Teal won the Flying Scotsman in 2017 with Tip Two Win, who went on to finish second in the Guineas the following year, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dancing Gemini take another step forward today.

Dancing Gemini, 2.10 Doncaster, 9/2 (generally), 1 point win