Four horses to follow at the Breeders' Cup on Saturday night

Tipster: Johnny Ward.

Tipster: Alex Scott.

The value bet in the Breeders’ Cup Mile looks to be The Lion In Winter, who ran a cracker in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, beating all of his rivals bar the 100-1 outsider Cicero’s Gift. 

It is no surprise to see Notable Speech at the head of the market, but he looks skinny enough for a horse that has been beaten in every start this year and won a weak Grade One at Woodbine last month.

The Lion In Winter has not won at all this year, but he has placed on three occasions and has the form to match the favourite, yet is a far bigger price in receipt of his weight-for-age allowance. Since a no-show in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, he has finished a close third behind the re-opposing Sahlan in the Prix du Moulin and then second on Champions Day last time out.

This will be the quickest ground he has encountered for some time, but he won the Acomb last year on quick ground and I get the feeling he has not yet reached his peak over a mile yet, and if there is a pair that can get improvement out of him, it is Christophe Soumillon and Aidan O’Brien.

Tipster: Rachel Candelora.

Let’s hope that earlier in the evening the outstanding Rebel’s Romance will have retained his turf championship, just as Full Serrano looks to do in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. 

In the short history of this race - this is just the 19th running - two horses (Goldencents and Cody’s Wish) have successfully defended their crown in what is usually a pretty weak division. 

That is not the case this year, but without doubt the Del Mar oval brings out the best in the John Sadler-trainee with his course record currently three wins and a second from four starts.

Twelve months ago Full Serrano stalked the early pace under Joel Rosario (who gets back aboard him for the first time since that win), but the six-year-old is equally adapt at leading and it is quite possible that Rosario might decide to send him this time around.

I am a huge fan of the “third run off a break” angle in American racing and this applies here. Last year he finished second in the Pacific Classic over a mile and a quarter at Del Mar before dropping back in trip to win the Dirt Mile. 

This year he finished second in the Goodwood over nine furlongs behind Classic-bound Nevada Beach, before dropping back to his specialist distance.

Trainer Bob Baffert saddles three runners in this race, including the favourite #3 Nysos, but Uncle Bob’s record in this particular Breeders’ Cup race is very poor given he has only had one horse placed from 12 runners. 

Tipster: Katie Midwinter.