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Breeders' Cup: a tip for all the races on Friday and Saturday

Last Updated: Thu 31 Oct 2024

Who will steal the show at Del Mar on Friday and Saturday? Andy Stephens has a selection for all the big races, live on Racing TV.

FRIDAY

9.45: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

Selection: BIG MOJO at 6/1 with bet365 and Betfred (both firms offer four places for each-way purposes)

Seconds out, round three. Big Mojo and Aesterius have already had two toe-to-toe battles this summer, with the former coming out top in the Molecomb and the latter turning the tables in the Flying Childers, when Magnum Force was third.

The pair have got favourable low draws to exploit their speed, with BIG MOJO getting the nod this time. He’s a big colt but he seems perfectly balanced and his strong cruising speed is seductive. His stable, of course, landed last year’s edition with Big Evs.

Aidan O’Brien lets fly with Whistlejacket and Ides Of March, although I’m not convinced 5f on quick terrain is going to show either to best advantage. The home team look there for the taking, with Japanese challenger Ecoro Sieg most interesting among the remainder.

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10.25: NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Selection: IMMERSIVE at 3/1 with William Hill

The exciting IMMERSIVE is fancied to preserve her unbeaten record and give Godolphin a 19th Breeders’ Cup triumph.

She was sent off at more than 10-1 when winning on her debut at Saratoga in late July but she won in taking style and has since landed Grade One victories in the Spinaway Stakes, at Saratoga, and Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland.

On the former occasion, she did well to claw back Quietside, who got first run and looked certain to prevail. The homebred is a daughter of Nyquist, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2015 before going on to land the Kentucky Derby the following year.

11.05: John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Selection: LAKE VICTORIA at a general 11/10

Aidan O'Brien tells us about his team for Del Mar

This revolves around LAKE VICTORIA (nap) who must be the strongest European challenger who has ever lined up for this.

Four runs have yielded four wins, with exceptional performances in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes. This two-turn mile on quick ground should be well within her stamina range and she can emulate Meditate, who took this race two years ago for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore after finishing second in those contests. Timeform have Lake Victoria 16lb clear on ratings.

O’Brien has a handy second string in Heavens Gate, while the speed needed for this could suit the speedy Fiery Lucy, who also travels over from Ireland.

Thought Process stands out among the home team, with her only defeat in four starts coming when she made her debut on turf. She’s won twice at Del Mar and those who rejected her as a yearling (she twice failed to make her reserve) must be kicking themselves.

11.45: FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Selection: GAMING at 10/1 with Betfair and Paddy Power

Several unbeaten, improving youngsters with similar credentials make this trappy.

Godolphin’s East Avenue heads the market after being a wide-margin winner on his debut before following up in the Grade One Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, but the 9-4 on offer looks tight enough given the depth to this.

Bob Baffert runs a trio, Citizen Bull, Getaway Car and GAMING, with the last-named getting the nod at double-figure digits. He was an easy winner on his debut at Del Mar in August and followed up in the Grade One Del Mar Futurity a month later, with stablemates Citizen Bull and Getaway Car behind. That pair have since dominated the Grade One American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita.

Yes, they have a lot of Grade One races in the States.

12.25: Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Selection: AL QUDRA at 6/1 with Sky bBet

Al Qudrah, right, on his Newmarket debut

A tough getting-out stakes for day one with the British, Irish, American and Japanese formlines not easy to untangle.

AL QUDRA is the Charlie Appleby/Godolphin second string on jockey bookings, but he’s got a better draw than his stablemate, Aomori City, and you could argue his form is a tad better, too.

He didn’t get the rub of the green when runner-up to New Century in a Grade One contest at Woodbine last time, having beaten that rival in convincing style at Ascot earlier in the campaign. The No Nay never colt was beaten under a length in the Coventry and won’t fail through lack of experience.

Will Buick prefers Aomori City, but he’s drawn wide and lacked a bit of tactical toe when fourth in the National Stakes, when a place behind Seagulls Eleven, who is a big outsider here.

SATURDAY

Charlie Appleby gives us the inside track on his team

7.41: Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

Selection: COGBURN at a general 13/8

Switching from dirt to turf has been the making of COGBURN, who has been imperious in winning each of his three races this season.

Steve Asmussen’s charge was an emphatic winner at Kentucky last time, when he won at the main expense of two-time Royal Ascot winner Khaadem, with Nobals, winner of this 12 months ago, back in fourth. Before that, he had won in similarly decisive style from Arzak at Saratoga, with the Charlie Appleby pair of Star Of Mystery and Mischief Magic among the supporting cast.

Bradsell leads Believing 3-0 in their tussles since late August but both were upstaged in the mud in the Abbaye this month and their extreme draws, on each flank, are a worry. Big Evs was a brilliant juvenile winner at the Breeders’ Cup last year but he fluffed his lines in the Nunthorpe last time and, like Bradsell, is drawn wide.

8.21: Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff

Selection: AWESOME RESULT at a general 11/2

Thorpedo Anna is a hot favourite, having already won four Grade One prizes this term, but I’m inclined to take her on because she’s been on the go since late March and faces two smart older challengers in Raging Sea and Awesome Result.

Raging Sea’s defeat of last year’s Distaff winner Idiomatic in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga in late August (pair ten lengths clear) puts her bang in the picture, although she only scrambled home from Batucada last time.

It’s the Japanese challenger, AWESOME RESULT, a daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify and bred in Kentucky, who may hold the aces. She’s unbeaten in six starts and has taken the Empress Hai en route to here. That was a race that Marche Lorraine scooped before winning the Distaff for Japan at Del Mar in 2021.

Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee won’t be known to many British racing fans (his previous Breeders’ Cup runner finished fourth in 2012) but jockey Yutaka Take will need no introduction.

9.01: Longines Breeders' Cup Turf

Selection: JAYAREBE at a general 11/2

The progressive JAYAREBE has some strong form to his name and was typically willing when taking the Prix Dollar at Longchamp last time, despite the soft ground being a niggle for him.

He had Anmaat, the subsequent Champion Stakes winner, back in fifth that day, and had previously beaten all bar Economics in a Group Two contest at Deauville. This easy mile-and-a-half on fast ground should play to his strengths and his trainer has scooped this prize twice in the past.

Rebel’s Romance seems sure to make a bold bid to reclaim the crown he won in 2022, while Emily Upjohn’s form this season now looks better than it did at the time. Shahryar was third last year and looks Japan’s best hope, but the home team are usually vulnerable in this.

9.41: Longines Breeders' Cup Classic

Selection: SIERRA LEONE at a general 12/1

Click here to see Andy’s runner-by-runner guide and tip

Will City Of Troy handle the dirt? Angus McNae gives his verdict

10.25: Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Selection: WAR LIKE GODDESS at a general 5/1

Seven-year-old mare WAR LIKE GODDESS seems to retain all her zest/ability and should make a bold bid.

She’s run creditably in the past two editions of the Turf, behind Auguste Rodin last year, but her connections have settled for a softer option this time. Her latest effort, when beaten half a length by Fra Bridge, who is heading for the Turf, reads well, with Silver Knott more than four lengths back in third.

Cinderella’s Dream, a stablemate of Silver Knott, heads the betting, having been beaten only once in seven starts (seventh in the 1000 Guineas). However, she does have to prove her stamina. Content has suffered two heavy defeats since her triumph in the Yorkshire Oaks but wouldn’t be the first Aidan O’Brien-trained inmate to suddenly revive.

11.05: Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint

Selection: DON FRANKIE at 12/1 with bet365

The betting suggests this is wide open and I don’t profess to be an expert on the international dirt sprinters, so this may be a good time to make a Horlicks or other milky nighttime beverage.

Those desperate for a punt could probably do worse than risk Japanese challenger DON FRANKIE. He had Nakatomi and Remake behind when runner-up in the Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan in March and has since got back to winning ways in his native country. He generally bowls along up near the pace.

11.45: FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile

Selection: RAMATUELLE at a general 4/1

Race of the meeting? Possibly. For all the chat about City of Troy and the Classic, we’ve got crack milers from Ireland (Porta Fortuna), England (Notable Speech) and France (Ramatuelle) taking on a class acts from America and Japan here. It’s going to be an absolute stonker.

RAMATUELLE (nap) has twice finished behind Porta Fortuna this year but she wasn’t seen to best advantage either time and, in any case, she took her form to another level when breezing home in the Prix de le Foret last month.

She’s got all the tools required to be the headline act among a glittering cast.

12.25: Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Selection:SAUDI CROWN at a general 5/1

The Breeders’ Cup meeting traditionally ends with the Classic, meaning that nobody in Britain goes to bed early.

But this year it’s the Dirt Mile that brings down the curtain and it’s not difficult to imagine lights being switched off and lounges up and down the country emptying rapidly about midnight.

I’ve got no strong view, although I recall being half interested in SAUDI CROWN for last year’s Classic. He bombed out but showed he did not do himself justice when subsequently a close third in the Saudi Cup.

He disappointed next time in the Godolphin Mile, but that race almost certainly came too quick for him. He’s got back to winning ways since and may just have a class edge in this.

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