The unbeaten Luxembourg provided trainer Aidan O'Brien with a tenth success in the Group One Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
The Camelot colt was backed into 4/6 favourite after impressing in the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh and never looked like letting his supporters down.
Held-up in midfield in a closely grouped field by Ryan Moore, who was completing a double on the card, Luxembourg began to take closer order fully three furlongs from home.
The field were tightly grouped and Bayside Boy momentarily looked short of room but the winner was already galloping on strongly and maintained his advantage to the line despite still showing signs of his inexperience.
A blanket could have been thrown over the next four home with the prominent racing Sissoko, trained by Donnacha O'Brien, finishing second ahead of Bayside Boy.
Among O'Brien's previous race winners were a pair of Derby heros in High Chaparral and Camelot, a St Leger winner in Brian Boru and two subsequent 2000 Guineas scorers in Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia so it was no surprise that Paddy Power swiftly trimmed his odds for next year’s Derby at Epsom to 4/1 from 8/1, while he is 6/1 from 8s for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
There was a similar response from Sky Bet whose representative Michael Shinners said: "That was a very smart performance by Luxembourg.
"We now make him our clear favourite for the Cazoo Derby at 3/1 from 6/1 and are 5/1 from 10/1 for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas"
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"Delighted with him," Moore told Sky Sports Racing.
"He’s a really smart horse, very scopey. He travelled easy. I lost my cover at halfway and I had to keep going. He took me to the front. When I asked him the question, he just waited a bit.
“I grabbed hold of the him the last 100 yards and he found a bit more.
“That’s three races and three wins. We’re delighted with what he’s done and he’s an exciting horse to look forward. It couldn’t have gone smoother and there’s more improvement to come.”
O’Brien raised the possibility of Luxembourg running in both the Guineas and the Derby next season.
He said: “He would have preferred a stronger gallop, but he’s a high cruiser and he got there a little bit after halfway. He was very babyish in front, but he’s a lovely horse. You’d have to be delighted.
“The lads will decide, but what he’s able to do over four furlongs at home says that he probably wouldn’t have any problems starting in the Guineas if that’s what the lads wanted to do.
“He’s been coming along slowly an he’s got a lot of class. Ryan was impressed with him.
“He’s always been very exciting. The work he’s been doing he shouldn’t have been able to do over four furlongs, but that is what good horses usually do.
“He has a big, open stride, but that’s what good horses have. Like human beings – the good athletes cover the most ground, don’t they?”
Reflecting on the season as a whole, the trainer added: “We’re very happy with the year. Someone told me that was our 18th Group One and we have won seven Classics.
“We lost loads of races, we won a few – that’s the way it is. It has to go around and everyone has to live, everyone has to get a bit of it and we’re delighted when we do get a bit of it.
“I might have made mistakes with horses this year. Maybe we ran them in the wrong races, sometimes horses were disappointing and sometimes they surprise you. There are a lot of different variables.”
Asked for his highlight of the season, O’Brien said “The filly (Snowfall) was very special at Epsom, but it has to be St Mark’s Basilica. We haven’t had the like of him since Galileo, and we might never have the like of him again. We were so lucky to find him.”
Wayne Lordan was delighted with the performance of runner-up Sissoko, saying: “Donnacha has always thought he was a very nice colt.
“He only won his maiden a week and a bit ago. It was huge step up, but he looked like he could run very well and Donnacha was duly right.
“He feels like he’s going to be a better three-year-old. It was a very good run going into the winter with prospects for next season.”
Roger Varian said of the third placed Bayside Boy: “He’s a smart colt and ran a good race.
“He was a touch unlucky. When he needed room he didn’t have any. I don’t think it stopped him winning, but he’d have been a good second with a clear run.
“We’ll winter him and aim him at a Newmarket Guineas because I think he deserves that.”
