The Breeders' Cup: five key runners for Britain at Santa Anita

Britain have had 26 winners at the Breeders’ Cup and there will be some long faces up and down the country if their dozen challengers at Santa Anita this weekend fail to add to that tally. Here are five key players among the raiding party.

9.00 Friday: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Odds: 3/1.

Mick Appleby’s young pace ace has had just one blip this year, when failing to make an impact against older opposition in the Nunthorpe. He put that behind him when blitzing the opposition in the Flying Childers at Doncaster last time, having previously landed the Windsor Castle Stakes and Molecomb in the first half of the season. The Blue Point colt will be encountering a bend for the first time but he has got stacks of early toe and Tom Marquand should be able to grab a prominent slot from stall 4. Big Evs looks well up to the standard usually required with his official rating being 4lb higher than last year’s winner Mischief Magic. Wesley Ward poses no threat for once but George Weaver’s pair, Crimson Advocate and No Nay Mets, command respect. The pair also ran at Royal Ascot, with the former looking a little fortunate to pip Relief Rally in the Queen Mary.

Simon and Ed Crisford were dealt a blow on Wednesday with Algiers being ruled out of the meeting but Carla’s Way gives them prospects of considerable consolation after her impressive win in the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket last time. That form has a glow after the pair who chased her home, Shuwari and Ylang Ylang, went on to dominate the Fillies’ Mile. Stepping up to a mile should be no bother for Carla’s Way, who had also looked a good prospect when winning on her debut at Doncaster. She did disappoint next time when favourite for the Albany Stakes but a wind op after that run has clearly benefited her. Porta Fortuna won the Albany, plus the Cheveley Park Stakes last time, but has to prove her stamina.

The five-time Group One winner looked in great fettle when routing her rivals in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket last month and can justify the decision to skip Champions Day on account of the deep ground. She’s raced exclusively over a mile for the past two years but has been strong at the finish of her races on several occasions, including on straight tracks, and the daughter of Frankel is bred to stay further on both sides of her pedigree. If she doesn’t get ten furlongs on fast ground around a track like Santa Anita, then she won’t get it anywhere. Her form looks stronger than that of Warm Heart, while last year’s runner-up, In Italian, has spurned good opportunities on her past two starts. The home team have won just one edition of this race since 2015.

Six Perfections, Goldikova and Tepin have been among the fillies/mares to have won the Breeders’ Cup Mile and Mawj promises to make a bold bid to emulate them. She was a smart two-year-old but has taken her form to another level this year, outmuscling the top class Tahiyra (pair clear) in the 1000 Guineas before getting her eye in for this with a fluent success in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last month. She had begun the year with successive wins at Meydan, being most impressive on the latter occasion. Mawj now tackles the boys/older opposition, but there are no superstars among the opposition, and plenty have to concede 6lb to her. She’s got a good draw and will surely be fresher than most after missing the summer.

Team Europe has a strong team for the Turf but it’s Mostahdaf who looks the No 1. He’s had a lighter time than younger rivals Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, and in any case his form looks stronger. That’s reflected by the official ratings, which suggest Mostahdaf has at least 5lb in hand of them. He has shown his best form at up to ten furlongs, but does have winning form over a mile-and-a-half and, in any case, the emphasis is still likely to be on speed, rather than stamina. Jim Crowley is likely to need a bit of luck in running on him, but his mount has a potent turn of foot.