Aidan O’Brien set to saddle five in Friday’s rescheduled Vertem Futurity Trophy at Newcastle

AIDAN O’BRIEN is still expecting to send over a strong team for Friday’s rescheduled Vertem Futurity Trophy at Newcastle.

The Group 1 contest was lost on Saturday after Doncaster had to abandon racing due to a waterlogged track.

Last week, O’Brien was responsible for five of the six runners in the contest with Andrew Balding’s Kameko the only challenger declared against him.

The BHA moved quickly to reschedule the race for this week and O’Brien revealed he is expecting to run the same five horses he was due to saddle.

The original team consisted of Mogul – who was set to goo a red-hot favourite – Innisfree, Iberia, Louisiana and Royal County Down.

O’Brien told Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme: “That’s what we’re thinking at the moment.

“I think it’ll be fine. Obviously Newcastle is a very good track and if the horses are well we’ll look forward to running them there.”

The race has now been reopened for new contenders as well as the six originally declared and there will be a prize fund of £200,000.