Racing Post Trophy betting tips (today!)

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has sent out the winner of the Racing Post Trophy four times in the last decade and he has an extremely string contender and worthy favourite for this year's renewal in the shape of Eagle Mountain. The son of crack miler Rock of Gibraltar has gone from strength to strength this season and was beaten just a head by subsequent National Stakes and Dewhurst victor Teofilo in the Futurity Stakes at The Curragh in August before filling the same spot behind Vital Equine in the Champagne Stakes at York and then returning to Ireland's premier track where he thrashed his six rivals in the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes. There can be little doubt that Eagle Mountain is a class act and the fact that he is proven on ground nearly as testing that which he will encounter at Newbury, and is proven over the RP Trophy trip of a mile, are factors which will stand him in good stead for this prestigious Group 1 event, which has produced the following season's Derby hero twice in the last five years. However, at a best-priced 5/4 there's little value to be had in a race where there are some interesting colts in opposition, most notably Thousand Words, who looks pretty good value to me at 8/1 with Ladbrokes. The only blot of the copybook of Barry Hills' charge was when he failed to run his race in the Champagne Stakes in which he finished just under four lengths adrift of Eagle Mountain. But the Dansili colt bounced back in no uncertain terms when readily beating Dijeer by two and a half lengths in the Group 3 Somerville Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket last month. Thousand Words looked ready for the step up t a mile when taking that seven-furlong contest and demonstrated his ability to plough through the mud, as conditions were pretty testing on the Rowley Mile that day. Eagle Mountain tends to need kidding along in his races, often becoming outpaced before finding his stride and running on strongly. Admittedly, this track will be conducive to his style as it is suited to gallopers and the straight is relatively long. Then again, if he gives himself too much too do then he could be undone by a rival like Thousand Words, who has a sound cruising speed and an almost instantaneous turn of foot. If he gets first run on Eagle Mountain, and it seems certain that he will, then the Irish raider could find that his wings have sprouted all too late. Michael Bell, who sent out Motivator to land the penultimate renewal of this, is represented by the progressive Regime this time. Already proven on an easy surface and over the eight-furlong trip, the son of Golan looks sure to get involved in the finish here following a cracking effort in the valuable Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million over an inadequate trip of seven furlongs, finishing just over one length second to Ireland's best juvenile filly, Miss Beatrix. Mark Johnston's Drumfire wasn't far away in third there and re-opposes, but the way Regime was staying on suggested that he would have finished a good few lengths ahead of Drumfire had the race been run over a mile. Johnston also fields Teslin who looks a bright prospect, but this represents a big step up in class for him. Sunshine Kid won a soft-ground maiden over this course and distance in good style last time and while he too is facing a huge step up, his proven effectiveness under the prevailing conditions augur well for him. The American-bred colt is worth his place and has each-way claims. Medicine Path appeared to have little trouble in handling give underfoot when chasing home ready winner Admiralofthefleet in the Royal Lodge at Ascot. He too is in with a shout of hitting the frame, but he lacks a turn of foot, plus O'Brien trains the Royal Lodge winner and rates Eagle Mountain much the better, so on that basis alone Eoghan O'Neills charge looks up against it. Verdict - 1pt Thousand Words @ 8/1 (Ladbrokes)