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Always a pointer to future stars is the Futurity Trophy run at Doncaster on Saturday.
Many great classic season horses start off winning the 2019 Futurity Trophy (1609m) at Doncaster such as High Chaparral .
2019 FUTURITY TROPHY - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 race run under Set Weight conditions for the two year old colts and fillies at Doncaster conducted by the Doncaster Racecourse.
Known for many years as the Racing Post Trophy, it is run over the mile. It was first run in 1961 and was won by Miralgo.
It is the final Group 1 race of the season in Britain.
It was originally run as the Timeform Gold Cup with the creator Timeform Phil Bull its founder.
In 1971 it was graded straight away as a Group 1.
The race has had several sponsorship name changes but it landed as the Racing Post Trophy in 1989. It changed sponsors in 2018 and became the Vertem Futurity Trophy.
Five times the Derby winner has won the race with the most recent being Camelot in 2011/2012.
The 1989 running was at Newcastle and the 2006 version took place at Newbury.
Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery share the riding honours with five wins while the leading trainer is the great Henry Cecil with ten. Aidan O'Brien is closing fast at nine.
Andrea Atzeni rode four winners in a row from 2013 to 2016 – all for different stables.
Coolmore won the race in 2017 with Saxon Warrior but the story was the sire as it gave the great Japanese horse Deep Impact his first G1 in Britain. It also provided Aidan O'Brien with a record 26th major of the season.
In 2018, as it turned out, the English 2000 Guineas winner defeated the Irish 2000 Guineas winner.
The Futurity Trophy is worth £215,500 in 2019.
Notable winners of the Futurity Trophy include Magna Grecia (2018), Saxon Warrior (2017), Kingston Hill (2013), Camelot (2011), St Nicholas Abbey (2009), Authorized (2006), Motivator (2004), Brian Boru (2002), High Chaparral (2001), Celtic Swing (1994), King's Theatre (1993), Reference Point (1986) and Noblesse (1962).
The 2018 Futurity Trophy was won by Magna Grecia from Phoenix Of Spain and Western Australia.
