The blue silks of Godolphin are iconic in world racing and, as the operation nears its 30-year anniversary, the colours could be carried with distinction at yet another Breeders’ Cup this week after a fantastic three-timer at last year’s meeting at Del Mar.

The boys in blue have seven chances at this year’s fixture at Keeneland, including strong favourite Silver Knott in the Juvenile on Friday and last year’s winner Modern Games bidding for a repeat in the Mile on Saturday. The formidable dual challenge of Rebel’s Romance and Nation Pride follow in the Turf.

While Godolphin bid to add to their 13 Breeders’ Cup winners in the coming days, here are three of their greatest moments at the big meeting Stateside.

A Classic winner in France, the grey took his form to even greater heights for Saeed bin Suroor as an older campaigner when landing the Eclipse and Man O’War Stakes in his first season at Newmarket before a brilliant five-year-old career which yielded Coronation Cup victory, King George glory and a nine-length stroll in the Irish Champion Stakes.

Daylami rounded off his brilliant career with Breeders’ Cup triumph in the 1999 Turf, the first winner for Godolphin at the meeting five years after the organisation’s formation and the first European winner of a Breeders’ Cup contest at Gulfstream Park.

As well as breakthrough this was also redemption for bin Suroor and jockey Frankie Dettori, who was widely vilified for his ride aboard Swain in the Classic the previous year when going down by an agonising three-quarters of a length.

“I’m glad I put Swain’s ghost behind me – Daylami saved my year,” Dettori subsequently said.

The trainer since added: “Daylami was something special to my heart. He was so kind, he never tried to bite or kick and he won all over the world.

“Before the Breeders’ Cup I was asked two days before the race would he win, and I said ‘110 per cent’ he would win the race. I should not have said that, but his work was something special.

“There was something different about him. My favourite two horses I’ve trained are Daylami and Dubai Millennium.

“I know I’ve had some good horses, but he is something special in racing history and he will stay in my memory for a long time.”

Another star for Bin Suroor and another advertisement for trainer’s skill with older horses, Fantastic Light departed to the stallion ranks to wide acclaim after emulating Daylami with success in the Turf in 2001.

Like his former stablemate, Fantastic Light improved for the move to Bin Suroor as a four-year-old and similarly got his Grade One breakthrough in the Man O’War Stakes before adding the Hong Kong Cup to a stellar career record ahead of a remarkable five-year-old season.

His only defeat that season was by two lengths to Galileo in the King George at Ascot but revenge was subsequently exacted in one of the great renewals of the Irish Champion Stakes before a glorious Breeders’ Cup finale.

Fantastic Light held off Milan to post a course record time at Belmont Park – on his first attempt at a mile and a half - and he was crowned champion Male Turf Horse, Cartier Horse of the Year and remembered as a performer of genuine mettle as well as real class.

Dettori said: "He is a great horse to have and I hope now that he gets the credit he deserves. He is up there with the best I have ridden and he has proved to the world he is a special horse."

Sheikh Mohammed added: “It is wonderful for us at Godolphin to have a horse like Fantastic Light and he showed a remarkable turn of speed to win the way he did."

“He’s not a bad little horse, is he?”

So said Charlie Appleby, promoted from travelling head lad to Godolphin trainer just a few months earlier and now a Breeders Cup-winning handler with his first-ever runner at the meeting under Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith.

Outstrip didn’t go on as a three-year-old and this was to prove the final win of his career, but he did struck in some style on his final juvenile start with a real turn of foot from the back of the field to get up in the shadows of the post for a famous win that was to ultimately foreshadow Appleby’s remarkable prowess at this meeting.

The trainer has saddled six Breeders’ Cup winners - including a remarkable treble with Modern Games (Juvenile Turf), Space Blues (Mile) and Yibir (Turf) last year – and according to America’s Best Racing has five winners and three runners-up from 10 runs in the US this year.

Appleby’s career stats in America read 19 winners and nine runners-up from 43 starts – and it’s a short price that he’ll add further gloss to those compelling figures this week as Godolphin increasingly flexes its muscle on the global racing stage in recent years through Appleby's training feats.