Benvenuto Cellini Regains Position Atop Futurity Market

Ante-post Epsom Derby (G1) favorite Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) heads Aidan O'Brien's Futurity Trophy (G1) team and has returned to the top of the market for Doncaster's Oct. 25 highlight after his declaration ended uncertainty about his participation. The son of Frankel (GB) out of 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner Newspaperofrecord (IRE) had been the odds-on favorite to enhance his classic hopes in Britain's final group 1 of the year at Monday's confirmation stage. However, following an unsettled forecast and O'Brien stating "nothing is set in stone," he was replaced at the head of the market by stablemate Hawk Mountain (IRE) on Wednesday. But Benvenuto Cellini has returned to favoritism after he was among the final field of six for the one-mile Futurity. He was an impressive winner of a group 2 at Leopardstown at the Irish Champions Festival under Christophe Soumillon, and O'Brien's stand-in number one retains the ride. Hawk Mountain, who impressively won the Beresford Stakes (G2) last time, will again be ridden by Ronan Whelan, while O'Brien's team is completed by Action (IRE). He was third in the Royal Lodge (G2) last month and will be partnered by Wayne Lordan. The British team is headed by unbeaten Juddmonte juvenile Item and the John and Thady Gosden-trained Oxagon (FR). Owned by Prince Faisal, Oxagon steps up to a mile for the first time after finishing fifth in the Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at Newmarket over a furlong shorter this month. The owner's racing manager Ted Voute said, "They only had 6.4mm of rain at Doncaster last night. It's a pretty windy storm as well and there's not a lot of rain predicted now, so hopefully we'll run. "We proved to ourselves in the Dewhurst that he needs a little bit further. This wasn't the plan; it was more opportunistic, but let's hope it pays off. We were disappointed not to be a bit closer in the Dewhurst, but Oisin Murphy thought that a little bit further would suit him, and I think John felt that a mile and 2 furlongs would be his trip next year. "It made sense to take a look at this race, and it seems to have cut up quite a bit. There are a lot of very similarly rated horses against him." Oxagon already has high-class form at Doncaster this year, having finished runner-up in the Champagne Stakes (G2) behind Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) winner Puerto Rico (IRE). He was ahead of Gewan (GB) that day, who got his revenge in the Dewhurst. "The Champagne form has worked out remarkably well," Voute said. "The Dewhurst winner must've had an off day that day, I presume, but Oxagon is having a good run at the moment. Let's hope it continues and we haven't used up all the luck." Item has won both starts and takes a significant step up in class, having landed a Bath novice contest last month. The line-up is completed by outsider Rochfortbridge (IRE), who was second in a listed contest at Pontefract earlier this week for Adrian Keatley. The Futurity Trophy is part of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and will award qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis.