DONCASTER holds the first of its two big end-of-season flat cards, with the highlight being the Racing Post Trophy due off at 3.45, and it should once again dominated by Irish maestro trainer Aidan O’Brien who can win it for the eighth time in the last 20 years with Deauville.

Of course this smart colt will have to reverse recent Royal Lodge Stakes form with the unbeaten Foundation but there are reasons to believe that he can do so.

Firstly that Newmarket contest was hardly run at a breakneck pace so when his conqueror made his move, the selection was tapped for speed.

However, once he hit the rising ground, the son of Galileo really found his stride and was staying on all the way to the line beaten less than a length in that one-mile event.

This galloping straight mile looks made to measure for him, but more importantly O’Brien has two other runners in there, of which at least one of them is surely going to be used as a hare to chase and ensure an end-to-end gallop as well.

There are several interesting supporting races on the Town Moor card, none more so than the mile-and-a-half handicap at 3.10 which has become a good trial race for the November Handicap next month.

I fancy we will get a huge run out of Esteaming after he ran the best race of the season at Nottingham last time out when third behind Lahayeb.

That run can be upgraded as he was very free through the early stages off a moderate pace, was then outspeeded at the top of the stretch as the momentum upped considerably before staying on strongly in the final quarter-mile.

The handicapper has left him alone off a mark of 88 and he looks like an each-way steal here with more rain in the air against the likes of Buonarroti (well weighted on his best form) the in-form Blue Hussar and Mistiroc. The latter ran a cracker in the Cambridgeshire and looks by far the biggest danger.

Dungannon won the 2.35 last year off a mark of 96, but now races off 92 and he looks the pick of the weights for this tricky sprint handicap ahead of the front-running Confessional and Portland winner Steps.

I am a huge fan of Long House Hall in the 4.30 at Cheltenham and although this represents a step up in class I will follow him until beaten as Dan Skelton has a really deep team of staying novice chasers this season.

Elsewhere, Romsdal should win the St Simon Stakes (2.35 Newbury), while also at the Berkshire venue I shall be supporting the likes of Tempting in the fillies’ handicap at 4.45 and the well-handicapped veteran Spa’s Dancer in the 3.00.