After the high drama and excitement of the previous weekend's Champions Day down at Ascot where equine and human champions were crowned, the turf season rolled into its final few weeks and there was high profile action on Doncaster's Town Moor racecourse. The headline act was the final Group One race of the year and it was in the form of the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes for two-year-olds. A prestigious event which has an illustrious roll of honour, a whole host of subsequent Classic and Group One winners would take this prize. Formerly known as the Racing Post Trophy, recent winners include 2020 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, 2012 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot, 2014 St Leger winner Kingston Hill and consecutive Epsom Derby winners in the form of Motivator and Authorized in the mid-2000's. Those names are just a few of a highly impressive list of former winners throughout the decade which includes Reference Point, St Nicholas Abbey, High Chapparal and Celtic Swing. In a new feature, follow the link below for a more in depth look at the 2022 running of the Vertem Futurity Trophy with the potential for a star of next year in attendance. 

Heavy rain during the week and a day's racing 24 hours before led to the ground being very testing for horses young and old. Described as soft and heavy in places, ground specialists were the order of the day on a competitive and valuable meeting. The second race  on the card was a nursery over seven furlongs and featured types who have kept busy throughout the season and lightly raced types given a break to recharge their batteries. The most interesting runner in the lineup was Lion Of War, a son of the popular Roaring Lion. He had looked an above average prospect by winning his first two starts, but found his limit when tried in Group races. Others in the lineup had shown a liking to similar conditions such as Queen's Eyot and Serious Look, heavy ground winners on previous starts. The race would go the way of the Ed Dunlop trained Queen's Eyot, who followed up a recent win under evergreen jockey Franny Norton.
Next up would be a small but interesting field for a twelve furlong handicap for three-year-olds and older. Leading contender was the John and Thady Gosden-trained Israr, who was lightly raced but very talented. Winner of the London Gold Cup in May, the source of future Group race winners, he would go on to finish third at Royal Ascot. Hailing from a terrific homebred family by owners Shadwell Estate, the son of Muhaarar and Oaks/King George winner Taghrooda should go on to better things. Conditions turned the race into a bit of a slog and a stamina test, but the market predicted the race correctly as Israr was always in a good position to strike and land the handicap in the style of a horse with more to come next year. 
Back on the straight course and back to the juveniles for the first of two feature races, the Listed class Doncaster Stakes. Filled with lightly raced maiden winners and others dropping in class, the main focal point of the race was the Aidan O'Brien-trained Aesop's Fables in the familiar colours of owners Tabor, Smith, Magnier and Westerberg. A speedily bred colt by No Nay Never, he looked to be one of the leading Ballydoyle hopes when he won the Irish Futurity Stakes at the Curragh, but his bubble burst somewhat with fourth placings in the National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes. Aesop's Fables was rightly all the rage in the betting given his reputation, but he still had eight others to beat. Stablemate Hispanic emerged from left field to show his talent with a wide margin win the previous week and there was a family rivalry with Aidan's son Donnacha saddling Wodao. The Juddmonte representative Bresson and maiden winners Secret Guest and Simple Man added spice to the recipe. The race would go the way of the much more experience Legend of Xanadu who produced a fairly big surprise. Much credit needs to go to the horse however as he has been on the go from the start of the season right up until the end of the season. A traditional trait of tough and consistent two year olds from the Mick Channon stable. 
Following the Futurity Trophy was the return of well known names with a class two handicap over five furlongs. The majority of the runners had crossed swords at least once before during the season as is the case in these kind of races. Amongst those who were fancied in the betting was York winner Kimngrace, who proved a revelation on soft ground last time out, Lullaby Bay who had been chinned on the line by Makanah a fortnight previously and the in-and-out character Nomadic Empire. There were plenty of recognisable names in the line-up courtesy of old wariors like Copper Knight, Justanotherbottle and Came From The Dark. The race would go to the progressive Fast Response, who delivered her owners Nick Bradley Racing with their 44th winner of the year and tipped their personal prize fund past a million pounds for the year. Previously a winner at Notttingham, she has really found her calling on softer ground and could even go in again before the season's climax. 

RACE WINNERS:
*Please note that due to time constraints, I was unable to cover the first and last races*

(Race Two) - QUEEN'S EYOT - Franny Norton - Ed Dunlop - Belardo x Kodiac Island
(Race Three) - ISRAR - Jim Crowley - John & Thady Gosden - Muhaarar x Taghrooda.
(Race Four) - LEGEND OF XANADU - Connor Beasley - Mick Channon - Sixties Icon x Tanojin
(Race Five) - AUGUSTE RODIN - Ryan Moore - Aidan O'Brien - Deep Impact x Rhododendron. 
(Race Six) - FAST RESPONSE - Clifford Lee - Karl Burke - Fast Company x Deemah.