DONCASTER 15:25 6d2so

All 12 ran.

Time: 1m 40.12s Closing Sectional: (3f): 39.9s (94.1%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 116%, Betfair SP 99.5%

A consequential renewal of the Racing Post Trophy for all sorts of reasons, first and foremost one of the best pieces of 2-y-o form of 2017, above that a window into the future for what the principals could do in the classics next season, and overarching it all was the new world record as a 26th Group 1 win of the year for Aidan O'Brien; the race was a stern test of character and not only talent, the headwind seeing to that, stamina at a with the ground and the gallop, team-mates of Saxon Warrior and Verbal Dexterity going off hard together, shaping things, even if the field let them get on with it through the first half, the winner and Roaring Lion breaking away 1f out, tough to do into this wind, both blown off course by it, the runner-up hanging left himself before then.

SAXON WARRIOR (JPN) completed the perfect first season, all the more weighty in his case as he's looked a budding 3-y-o at every stage, also having a tall frame to fill, and coming through a battle like this puts him on the front foot for his classic campaign, clear favourite for the Derby, justly so, but he could be in the mould of Camelot who did more than use the Guineas as a stepping-stone to Epsom, the wide-open betting for Newmarket telling the story of a Guineas up for grabs; out of a Galileo mare (who didn't quite see out the Oaks herself), by Japanese 1½m champion Deep Impact, Saxon Warrior is very likely to last the Derby distance, a feeling fostered by how well he's staying a mile this year, though in both the Beresford and here his high cruising speed has been evident, travelling powerfully at the head of the main pack, behind the pacemakers, taking over from them approaching 2f out, easy for him until Roaring Lion swooped, but digging deep when he had to, rallying back ahead in the last 100 yds, the pair against the far rail by then, the second pushing them across, besides the effect of the strong headwind; in a season when the better 2-y-os have been like shooting stars, flashing temporarily, at least for the colts, Saxon Warrior has increasingly marked himself out from the crowd, developing and unbeaten all along (on ground softer then good so far), potentially something special for next year.

ROARING LION (USA) lost his unbeaten record but made the biggest and best move of the race, to the extent he charged ahead of Saxon Warrior approaching the final 1f, from last of all, on the near wing, before the same left-handed shift that nearly cost him the Royal Lodge, continually so this time (though headwind invited it), a flaw to be ironed out, but his ability shone through above all, succumbing only in the last 100 yds, reflecting the winner's quality but also the sapping surge he'd already put in, plenty to put into practice next year; his sire Kitten's Joy had a lot of stamina for an American racehorse (runner-up in Breeders' Cup Turf), while his dam was placed in a Grade 1 at 1¼m over there, tempting enough to think he'd have the stamina for the Derby, but connections are plotting a path to the Guineas first.

THE PENTAGON (IRE) overshadowed by the first 2 at all stages, including in the betting, but the most pertinent point is that he was gradually gaining on them by the end, his closing statement for the year much quieter but almost as significant with 2018 in mind, as only then will he be doing what he's bred for, blessed with a stouter pedigree than either Saxon Warrior or Roaring Lion, also coming into this colder than both, absent since winning the Tyros in July; he's got physical size and scope, and it's not cut-and-dried that he'll be a mere second- or third-string for Ballydoyle by the time of the Derby.

VERBAL DEXTERITY (IRE) has a big rating in the locker, but the combination for it is hard to come by, looking one of those who'll bring it all occasionally rather than regularly, not doing so here, but in context it wasn't the let-down it might seem, the setback that forced him to miss the Dewhurst maybe leaving him a little short, certainly rusty, rousted from the start and on and off the bridle thereafter, never finding the same rhythm he had in the National, encouraging in a way that he still managed to cover Saxon Warrior's initial move over 2f out, eventually made to look slow by the first 2, but this wasn't him at full power; he should relish this trip, at the least.

GABR unusual move from the stable to upgrade one so high so soon out of maidens, meaningful in itself, and promisingly he held his own for a long way, going smoothly in mid-field and getting as close as 2l off the leaders over 1f out, far more than could have reasonably been expected, just lacking the class of the principals, and maybe their stamina, more of an outright miler on pedigree; this is a good graduation for next year, raising expectations.

CHILEAN did a lot in his first month of racing, maintaining that high line into this, 7 weeks on, still leaving him short with the race right up to Group 1 standard, patiently ridden and never on , a move (on the far flank) 2f out getting him into a share of fourth temporarily; he's still entitled to aim at Group 3s when restarting next year.

LOXLEY (IRE) supplemented for this having dead-heated in a novice event just a fortnight earlier, understandably couldn't impact, given the means and maturity of some of those he was up against, doing fairly well in personal , but the involvement was probably what mattered most, to tune him up for 2018, big things clearly in mind for him, having the pedigree for it, the dam earning a Timeform rating of 125 when she won the Prix de l'Opera as a 3-y-o.

SEAHENGE (USA) has ended his season contesting 2 Group 1s, not up to it now, not to say he won't be in the future, the style of his Champagne win still fresh in the mind, and here he was last of the main pack when getting some space with less than 2f to go, no inroads made, but a test like this isn't really what he's designed for.

MERLIN MAGIC wasn't up to the task regardless of the elements, but he got no cover from the headwind with his track position, prominent in the main group and wide, done with over 1f out; he got his win for this season at Nottingham, bred to do more over further as a 3-y-o.

ALFA MCGUIRE (IRE) way out of his depth at this level, quickly hitting him 3f out, left behind.

COAT OF ARMS (IRE) had been in Group races for his own benefit in the summer (runner-up in Futurity), but was used as pacemaker here, perhaps a sign of things to come next year.

THEOBALD (IRE) second to The Pentagon in the Tyros, since when his form has dipped, hence his use here to service his stablemate Verbal Dexterity, pressing on with the Ballydoyle pacemaker, cracking the sooner.