Breeders' Cup round-up: British and Irish raiders shine

Dual-Classic winner Auguste Rodin landed his fourth top-level triumph of a memorable three-year-old campaign and under a perfect ride by Ryan Moore to land the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.

Aidan O’Brien had long had this race in mind for his dual Derby hero, a plan firmed up after his thrilling victory in the Irish Champion Stakes, which cemented his place in his trainer’s affections.

There has been the odd hiccup in Auguste Rodin’s journey to stardom, but he has always bounced back from his setbacks in style and thrived in his first taste of international competition.

As when tasting Derby success at Epsom, the son of Deep Impact was ridden with patience by Moore, who rounding the turn for home found a golden passage up the rail and wasted little time in snatching the opportunity.

The Coolmore number one soon sent his mount for home and he surged clear of top American turf challenger Up To The Mark to give O’Brien a record-extending seventh success in a race Europeans continue to dominate.

Paying tribute to Moore’s ride, O’Brien said: “He had incredible confidence in him. He was drawn handy and he thought he might be handier, but when he was not, Ryan knew. What an incredible ride.

“The race wasn’t working out for us like we hoped. But Ryan knew at the top of the bend where he wanted to go.

“Ryan doesn’t waste any energy in being anything other than what he is. He’s familiar with all the top tracks and the top races.

“He says he can’t be getting better, but he’s 40 and I’ve told him you peak at 45.”

Moore said: “I got squeezed out and horses were getting in each other’s way. I didn’t like where I was, but once he got there he did it very easily. Considering how the race went against him in the early stages, it was a really big performance.

“Going up the rail was Plan F, my horse was getting a bad trip and the reason he won is because he’s so good.

“He’s now won two Derbys, an Irish Champion and come here and beaten proper horses. He had things go against him today, but he overcame them. He’s shown himself to be a good Derby winner and a real top-drawer horse.”

On his big-race winner, O'Brien added: He doesn't do much when he gets there and that was a little worry, but he's a super horse.

"During the week the way he was cantering on the dirt I was wondering have we done the right thing, should we have had him in the other race (Breeders’ Cup Classic). He was cruising on the dirt, most other horses don’t handle it when they are not used to it really, but he was incredible really.

“We’ve always felt he has a beautiful action and that he’s a kind of dream horse.

“His dam (Rhododendron) was one of the best Galileo mares ever, and he’s the absolute double of his grandsire (Sunday Silence). His pedigree brings the best of Japan and Europe together.”

The colt has a special pedigree and one he has lived up to with his top-level successes this season. And while he's hugely valuable and "so important to the breed" according to the trainer, connections have not discounted the possibility of racing on next year.

"We've been thinking about it for a while that there's a lot of things that we could do with this horse.

"We could stand him here in America, we could stand him in Europe and there's definitely the strong possibility that we could keep him in training next year.

Asked about the a potential tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic next year, Magnier responded: "How fun would that be?"

Frankie Dettori was at his brilliant best as he delivered Inspiral to a last-gasp victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained filly has been one of Dettori’s star performers over the past few seasons, so it was somewhat fitting that she shone once again at Santa Anita, the place Dettori is soon to call home.

Held up towards the rear of mid-division for her first attempt at 10 furlongs, Dettori angled Inspiral out for a run rounding the far turn and flew home to deny Aidan O’Brien’s Warm Heart in the dying strides.

After a year of his ‘farewell tour’, Dettori recently reversed his decision to retire, and will soon be in action full-time in California. He also indicated he would like to keep the ride on Inspiral, which would mean a return to European action.

He said: “She’s always slow out of the gate, but she jumped good and was squeezed out on the fence. I really wanted to be where William (Buick, on With The Moonlight) was, but he got there before me.

“She needs a quarter of a mile to find top gear, and I expected her to find it. Once she did, she was flying. The Filly & Mare was always the plan because we felt the Mile would be too sharp for her.”

He added: “The support from people has been phenomenal, but I can’t do it without the horses and she (Inspiral) has been a star. She’s beaten the boys and first time in the States she has shown what she can do.

“I will disappointed if I’m not on her (next year), but it will depend on the owners. But it is a job done for England and the Cheveley Park team, John Gosden and Thady.

“Coming here this week I felt she was my best ride. It’s great that the banker went in.

“I love the Breeders’ Cup, it’s been my making. This feels really sweet.”

John Gosden, a winning trainer at the inaugural Breeders' Cup in 1984, is familiar with was is required to win at Santa Anita and the trainer was full of praise for his star filly after a remarkable Breeders' Cup success.

"She's never the quickest out of the gate but I did hope Chad's filly (In Italian) would set stronger fractions. I thought it impossible from where we were on this turf course but Frankie managed to wriggle out and luckily she had the class to go and nail it on the line.

"You see the way she galloped out - we've probably been running her over the wrong trip all our life!

“Frankie did the right thing to get her out. I knew she would get the trip well, she would have been an unlucky loser.

“I thought Ryan Moore rode a super race on Warm Heart. Our filly needed all her class the get there. She’s got a superb will, and it’s a wonderful achievement for Cheveley Park.

“Next year options are open. Whether Lockinge and Queen Anne or look at the Juddmonte and the Nassau. I could se the Juddmonte International being a key race for her.”

And it looks like Dettori will get his wish in maintaining the partnership, as Gosden said: “If she’s in great order next year we will seriously look at bringing her back to Del Mar and Frankie will be free to ride her.”

Gosden added that Dettori was "52 and riding like a 32-year-old," while the jockey's big-race ride garnered further praise from Racing TV pundit and Classic-winning jockey Martin Dwyer.

"It was just a brilliantly instinctive ride," said the former rider. "The best jockeys in ther world, that's how they ride and Frankie has been riding like that all year."

On the winning performance, Racing TV's Steve Mellish added: He [Ryan Moore] has given [runner-up Warm Heart] a perfect ride, not one inch could he have done better.

"He was in the right place at every stage, he kicked at the right time, he got a lovely run in between two horses and Warm Heart stayed all the way on to the line. To pick up a horse that wasn't stopping like that is genuinely top-class."

Charlie Appleby enhanced his fine Breeders’ Cup record as Master Of The Seas flew home late to deny fellow Godolphin raider Mawj in a rip-roaring conclusion to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

With Saeed bin Suroor’s 1000 Guineas heroine tracking the hot pace set by Japanese challenger Win Carnelian, in contrast William Buick had Master Of The Seas held up towards the rear of the field from his outside draw in stall 14.

The order remained unaltered swinging the turn for home when Oisin Murphy decided to angle out Mawj and send the ultra-tough Classic winner for home in what looked a race-winning move.

However, Buick’s patience was rewarded and as the wire approached, Master Of The Seas had one last lung-busting thrust in him to edge out Mawj and lead home an all-British and all-Godolphin one-two.

It was the third straight victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile for both Appleby and Buick following their successes with Space Blues (2021) and Modern Games (2022), while the Moulton Paddocks handler now has 10 Breeders’ Cup victories to his name.

Buick said: "I did what I had to do, and one thing he did do was he relaxed beautifully throughout the run, he was conserving all the way around, and I put so much faith into him.

"He had a lot of ground to make up, I had to circle the field and the pace was even throughout the race which helped.

"Turning for home, I said 'do your thing' and he did. Credit to the horse, credit to Charlie and the whole team, a great performance and it's great to come here and have a winner."

Appleby said: “We knew we had to go out with a slight plan and thankfully the pace we hoped for was on and set things up for our style of finish. Once he gathered his momentum we all know what kind of engine he has.

“He’d been to Canada, to Keeneland and shipped up here. He’s gone so close to winning a major and now he’s done it.

Of the gallant Mawj, Bin Suroor said: “She’s run a huge race. She was in front she did everything really, but I’m happy for Charlie.

“She will go back to Dubai now.”

Murphy added: “She’s just unlucky someone has to finish second. I wasn’t sure what the outcome of the photo was, it didn’t go our way today but that’s life. It was a good performance – she’s high-class.”