Preview and tips ahead of Saturday's meeting at Doncaster

The race is often seen as a launchpad for the stars of the future on the Flat - it was won last year by Auguste Rodin, who went on to clinch the Epsom and Irish Derby double earlier this year for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

The Ballydoyle maestro has another strong hand in the race this year in Diego Velazquez - an enormous £2.5million purchase by his ownership and in the hands of the best Flat trainer in the business.

Diego Velazquez is certainly bred to be a superstar, being a son of super sire Frankel, arguably the best racehorse of all time, and out of Listed-race-winning mare Sweepstake. The two-year-old is closely related to Group One winning star Broome and Group Two winner Point Lonsdale, while overseeing them all is the king of sires - Galileo.

O’Brien knows he has a talent on his hands after watching Diego Velazquez steam to a four-and-a-half length win last time out at the Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown, telling Racing TV afterwards: "He was just half-speeding at home and then we come here today and he hardly took hold of the bridle."

Diego Velazquez is the headline act for the Vertem Futurity Stakes but some bookies do not make him favourite for the race, with Ancient Wisdom for the Godolphin string leading the way in some markets having won the Autumn Stakes earlier this season and being supplemented by his owners for this weekend’s race.

Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini returns to the scene of his very impressive win in The Flying Scotsman last time out and lines up back on Town Moor this weekend, while the John and Thady Gosden-trained is also back at the scene of a career win, having scored in the Maiden Anniversary Stakes at the St Leger Festival on debut.

The second from that race, Redhot Whisper, only finished a length behind and is back in action at Doncaster.

Capulet, beaten by Diego Velazquez at Leopardstown, is back for another crack at his stablemate on this side of the Irish Sea. French trainer David Menuisier will be looking to bag a second Group One in a week with Devil’s Point, following on from Caius Chorister’s win in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last weekend.

Deira Mile completes the field for the race, though he is also entered at Doncaster on Friday for the Owen Burrows yard.

Kameko Vertem Futurity Stakes: 1-2-3 prediction

1 Diego Velazquez

2 Redhot Whisper

3 Dancing Gemini

Preview compiled by Racing TV