Group One Vertem Futurity Stakes Guide 2021

Heading the current market at a short price is the Aidan O’Brien trained Luxembourg. The son of Camelot has only been seen twice on course but has a perfect record of two wins from his two runs.

Debuting at Killarney back in July, he justified market support to run away an easy winner over a mile on good ground.

The form didn’t amount to much but he couldn’t have beat the field much easier and came sweeping wide powerfully to a wide margin victory.

Dropped straight in the deep end for his next run, he absolutely bolted up in the Beresford Stakes. It wasn’t the strongest of fields for a Group 2 contest and Luxembourg went off 8/13 favourite, dispatching his four rivals by a mammoth 4.75 lengths.

He clearly stays a mile well but the form of his Group 2 win looks slightly suspect. He did blow the field away but faces some much stiffer competition here. Easy to oppose with the stable operating at only 6% currently.

The two year old son of leading sire Wootton Bassett has been seen five times this season, needing his first experience at York on soft ground, with conditions not in his favour.

However, since then he has shown leading form in this division finishing a superb second to the dual Group One winner Native Trail at Sandown.

Royal Patronage has franked the form on three occasions since then, getting off the mark on his third attempt at Epsom in a Novice Stakes and then backing that up at York in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York.

Last time out he stepped up once more to give a career best performance at Newmarket over a mile to land the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes.

What made this win so impressive was the way he stayed on to beat Coroebus on the line, with the Godolphin colt since going on and franking the form in a big way.

Landing the hat-trick last time out he heads into the event in good form and looks one of the form picks.

Officially the highest rated horse in the field, Bayside Boy won on debut for Roger Varian back in July.

An easy win over 7 furlongs at Newbury was nearly followed up by a listed win at the same venue only for him to be caught on the line by Masekela.

Undeterred by his narrow defeat, connections moved him up to Group 2 company where he just managed to get the better of Reach For The Moon at Doncaster. Looking the better stayer of the two, he just ground out the victory with stronger stamina.

Last seen coming third in the Dewhurst, he couldn’t live with Native Trial but wasn’t disgraced to be only beaten by 2.5 lengths.

He’s shaping like he will relish the step up to a mile but soft ground is an unknown.

A winner of a good maiden at Goodwood during the summer festival there, Imperial Fighter looked a very smart prospect to be winning at the first time of asking on soft ground.

Andrew Balding clearly pleased with the colt's natural ability, he shifted up to group company for his second outing and ran a blinder to be second to Royal Patronage in the Acomb Stakes.

Last seen kept at Group 3 level, he moved up to a mile but was brushed aside by Coroebus at Newmarket.

Drifting left handed under pressure, the undulating nature of Newmarket might not have been to his liking but he put in a clear career best to be second.

He takes another step up in grade but is clearly improving and handles soft ground.

A solid each way angle but his form leaves him something to find with Royal Patronage.

Donnacha O’Brien brings one over from Ireland for a crack at Group 1 spoils after easily shedding his maiden only nine days ago.

Debuting late last month, Sissoko put in a very average performance to be sixth of 15 runners. He stayed on well late but was beaten 6 lengths and didn’t look likely to land a blow.

However, with experience under his belt and moving slightly up in trip, Sissoko was devastating over nine furlongs at the Curragh last week.

He spread-eagled the field and looked a powerful stayer to have his rivals come home in intervals behind.

The form has yet to be tested but things have clearly clicked into place for him and he could have any amount in hand.

Going at a strong pace and this being a proper stamina test looks likely to suit but it’s hard to assess just how good he could be.

Another Irish raider, this time for Jim Bolger, Mctigue debuted in an average enough maiden race at Galway over seven furlongs and immediately looked like he needed further.

By Fracas, he stayed on well late on debut and clearly looked like stepping up in trip would bring about improvement.

He made that transition up to eight furlongs in early August and obliged with a narrow victory in maiden company at Leopardstown.

The form doesn’t look stellar and Chicago Soldier who only went down by a head was well beaten by Luxembourg subsequently.

He looks up against it to get seriously involved.

Another runner who’s only been seen twice on course, Brian Meehan’s Hannibal Barca took to the track for the first time early last month and ran well to be third at Ascot.

The winner has followed up since so the form isn’t to be totally disregarded.

Encountering soft ground over seven furlongs at Salisbury at the end of last month seemingly brought out the best of him and he easily dealt with testing conditions to break his maiden.

The fourth and eighth have run well in defeat since but the form hasn’t taken any significant boosts.

Again hard to assess where he really is but he handled soft ground and looked like a mile would be his bag.

Rossa Ryan and Karl Burke team up with Bullet Force.

One of the more experienced runners in the field, it took Bullet Force three attempts to break his maiden but did so with a bit in hand up in Musselburgh over seven furlongs.

Having previously been denied over seven furlongs and a mile at Sandown, experience seemed to finally pay dividends for him.

He’s since transitioned into handicap company but has struggled off of marks of 82 and 83, coming 3rd on both occasions over seven furlongs.

He’s hinting that another try at eight furlongs will suit but he’s not done himself many favours in lower grade handicaps and is only rated 83.

Plenty to find on paper and he encounters soft ground for the first time.