Castle Gandolfo is odds-on in Trophy

Just six runners were left in at yesterday's final declaration stage for tomorrow's Racing Post Trophy – the last Group One event of the year in Britain. With 50 per cent of the field being trained by Aidan O'Brien and one of the three, the unbeaten hat-trick seeker Castle Gandolfo, priced up at odds of 1-2 by the Tote, the race may not be a compelling betting medium.

The Tote quote the supplemented Godolphin representative Mount Joy at 5-2 for the £175,000 race and it is 12-1 bar those two. They include Mr Sandancer, trained in Lincolnshire by James Given, who said yesterday that he may withdraw the colt if the ground becomes heavy.

"We are only half an hour from Doncaster," Given said, "and we have paid our money, so if the ground dries out or something happens to the other horses, we have declared to run and intend to run. There is money for fourth place."

Darryll Holland, who gets a rare opportunity to ride for Godolphin aboard Mount Joy, was yesterday banned for three days, 3, 5 and 6 November, after being found guilty of irresponsible riding aboard Early Morning Mist at Brighton.