Balantina gives Donnacha O’Brien a first Breeders’ Cup victory

A daring rail move by Oisin Murphy and a brilliant turn of foot from Balantina secured a famous success for Donnacha O’Brien in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

With Aidan O’Brien’s Precise an absentee, the race had a much more open look and it was Balantina who produced a career best, in a performance matched by the man in the saddle, whose call to switch to the inside close home in the mile feature proved inspired.

Chasing her hard at the line was Andrew Balding’s Pacific Mission, running a huge race for Colin Keane to get as close as she did after missing the break.