With Ryan Moore on the sidelines through injury and Wayne Lordan suspended, Christophe Soumillon continues to act as number one jockey for trainer Aidan O'Brien.

The Belgian rider has two mounts for the Ballydoyle trainer at Doncaster on Thursday - Brussels in the £300,000 Weatherbys Sales Stakes and Sugar Island in the Group 2 Betfred May Hill Stakes.

Brussels is close to favourite at 4/1 for his six and a half furlong race, while Sugar Island is a 7/1 chance for her eight-runner contest.

Unusually, O'Brien does not have a runner in Thursday's Group 2 Betfred Park Hill Stakes (run over an extended 14 furlongs for fillies and mares) and the two Irish-trained contenders in that race are Elana Osorio (Paddy Twomey/Billy Lee) and Floresta (Johnny Murtagh/Ben Coen).

Returning to the May Hill Stakes, the strong favourite for this one-mile test is the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Moon Target.

Prescott, who has yet to win this Town Moor contest during his illustrious career, saw his stable star come up short in the Prestige Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood last month when she finished three-quarters of a length behind Aidan O’Brien’s Precise.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned daughter of Cracksman had won each of her two starts before that and Prescott hopes she can bounce back as she takes on a mile for the first time.

“I was disappointed she didn’t win. I thought she was caught a bit cold, whereby she (had) travelled well and won well over a straight track on nice, level ground and been able to do it just as she’d liked (on her first two runs),” he said.

“And there (at Goodwood), she was put to the sword early on. They jumped quick and turned left and she got bumped. I think that just caught her out and Aidan’s filly was just that bit more professional and beat us fair and square. I hope that she’s learnt and she’s not frightened by it.

“I think she will stay a mile, her pedigree says she will. I trained her half-sister up to a mile and a quarter, so pedigree says she will.”

Prescott also believes returning to a racecourse without a bend should suit, adding: “She won well and looked impressive on those two straight courses (Newmarket and Yarmouth) before.

“Logic says Doncaster would suit her better than Goodwood, but you can talk logic all you like with horses and it doesn’t always work out.”

Karl Burke’s Aylin, who finished in third in that Goodwood race, will renew her rivalry with Moon Target.

“She’s a very nice filly and she ran well in the Prestige at Goodwood,” said Alison Begley, racing manager for joint-owners Al Shaqab Racing.

“She was probably a bit tapped for toe that day and then was staying on, so Karl thinks the mile will suit and a bit of rain will suit.

“Karl says he has her in good form and we’re looking forward to seeing her run.”

Rose Ghaiyyath won on debut in a valuable conditions race at Deauville and trainer Richard Hughes is excited for his prospect.

“There is always a worry when you are bringing one over first time out because we know how they can run, but she did a very good prep for it and she didn’t let us down,” Hughes said.

“She’s done nothing but thrive since the race, so why not get going again? She’s done some very nice work at home and she’s one of the better ones, that’s for sure.

“It’s a Group 2 so there’s no hiding place. In France, they do go slow. She jumped very quick and it just took them a while to get her to relax then she was good as gold, but I wouldn’t think a mile would be any trouble.”

Pacific Mission, who is trained by Andrew Balding, is set for a huge step up in class after shedding her maiden tag on the all-weather at Kempton in August.

“She’s doing well, she’s a very nice filly and I thought she looked good winning the maiden on her last day, which is what we would have expected,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“I think the first day it was a two-year-old first time out, she got a bit of stage fright and William (Buick) looked after her and then she took a massive step forward.

“Andrew’s always liked her, it’s obviously a big jump up, but we are looking forward to seeing how she can handle group company.”

Rose Ghaiyyath’s owner Jaber Abdullah has one more dart in this race, in the shape of Charlie Johnston’s Timeforshowcasing.

The Irish runner Sugar Island (by Dubawi) was a narrow winner of a Curragh maiden on debut in July, but could only finish fifth of six when favourite for a Group 3 race at the same track on August 30th.

Completing the May Hill field are Swift Winds (trained by Hilal Kobeissi) and the Charlie Johnston-trained Venetian Lace.

Park Hill Stakes

Sir Mark Prescott admits a longer trip and softer conditions are unknowns for Consent in the Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes.

The three-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega has won two of her four starts and was unlucky to find trouble when stepping up to group company for the first time at Deauville last month.

Consent rallied back after being boxed in late on to claim runner-up honours, two and a half lengths behind Andre Fabre’s Indalimos.

“She’s been fine, she ran well in Deauville,” Prescott said. “She was unlucky in running, but the winner won well. Who knows, it was one of those (races).

“She stayed on well, she ran very well and she stepped up on her previous runs. She’s run a little bit better with every race she’s ever had, which is encouraging.

“So you’re entitled to run her here and hope she runs well.

“She certainly goes well on the firm and whether she goes well on the soft, the sire (Lope De Vega) would say yes. They would say they are better with a bit of cut.

“This filly has always been very sound and active and light-framed, so she’s always gone well on the firm. So the good to soft would be unknown.”

On whether she would relish the step up to a mile and six furlongs, Prescott added: “Who knows. She always finishes her races well and she finished her race well with a troubled run last time.

“That may make it look like she’d stay further because she got into trouble. I don’t know, I think she’ll stay, but it’s an unknown and the ground is an unknown.”

The William Haggas-trained Santorini Star, meanwhile, hopes to build on her impressive win in handicap company at York.

“She’s fine, she’s in great form, stepping up from handicap company to Group 2 will never be easy,” said Sean Graham, racing manager to joint-owner Tony Bloom.

“We are just hoping it’s a strongly-run race and she keeps improving. The ground is no worry to her.

“She’s been going well all year, I suppose we were a little disappointed with her when we sent her to Fairyhouse (finished fourth in a Group 3 in July).

“She goes there with a chance. It’s a deep race and there’s lots of horses with very good chances and well-bred fillies, so it’s never going to be easy but as long as it’s a truly-run mile and six, that’s what we prefer.”

John and Thady Gosden, whose partnership landed this Group 2 contest in 2021 and 2022, have four contenders on Town Moor.

Lillie Langtry runner-up Danielle leads the quartet, Queens Fort makes her first start in 448 days and Crepe Suzette and Zilfee both step up in class.

Of Zilfee, Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said: “She’s obviously been a slow project. She got an injury last year after she won her maiden first time out (subsequently disqualified after testing positive for a banned substance) and she went back for her novice this year and she won nicely.

“But this is a huge step up in class and she’s very lazy at home, hence why she wears the visor, and we are probably learning about her ourselves when we see her on the track.

“She’s a beautiful filly and she’s a half-sister to Enable, so she’s beautifully bred. We are hopeful rather than confident.”

Haggas also runs Chorus, Secret Of Love goes for Andrew Balding and David O’Meara’s Strassia completes the 11-runner field, along with the two Irish-trained runners mentioned above.