O'Brien duo head Trophy field

Aidan O’Brien will be double-handed in Saturday’s Racing Post Trophy with Magritte and Mikado in a six-strong line-up as he bids to win the Doncaster Group One contest for the third year running.

High Chaparral in 2001 and Brian Boru last year did the business for the Ballydoyle trainer and both horses went on to record Classic victories the following season.

O’Brien, who has won the Trophy four times in total, had been responsible for nine of the 17 horses at the five-day stage but has trimmed his team down to just the two.

Magritte, already a leading fancy for the Vodafone Derby, was an easy winner of his only start so far at Tipperary in July.

He is a half-brother to last year’s fourth The Great Gatsby, who went on to finish second in the Derby.

Mikado, like Magritte, is by Sadler’s Wells, and got off the mark in a mile maiden at Listowel last month.

There has only been one French-trained winner – Green Dancer in 1974 – and American Post bids to put the record straight.

The Khalid Abdullah-owned colt, runaway winner of the Grand Criterium at Longchamp on his latest start, is trained by Criquette Head-Maarek, whose father Alec saddled Green Dancer to win at Town Moor.

The two other supplementary entries – Richard Hannon’s progressive Fantastic View and Cape Fear from Brian Meehan’s stable – were also declared at today’s 48-hour final stage.

Completing the sextet is the Marcus Tregoning-trained Tahreeb.