Breeders' Cup racing preview: What the trainers say

Still Believing – Highclere hoping this is filly’s moment to shine

There could be a fitting end to a fantastic season for Believing in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, with George Boughey’s filly backed to “get her skates on” and finally get her moment in the sun in California.

The four-year-old has been a model of consistency for connections, only once outside the top four in a multitude of the year’s hottest sprint contests and winning twice along the way.

Ryan More was the man in the saddle when she struck at the Curragh in the summer and the 41-year-old’s big-match experience is backed to come to the fore when he climbs aboard his willing ally at Del Mar on Saturday.

Harry Herbert, managing director of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said: “Ryan is such a go-to man and has ridden some wonderful horses for us over the years. He knows this filly well and he knows the track well and he’s pleased to be riding her.

“She gives you everything and you know when you ride Believing she absolutely leaves not an ounce in the tank. She’s like her father Mehmas and when you have a horse like that it’s exciting to come to a championship race knowing you will get everything she can give.”

This will be Believing’s 10th start of 2024, but Herbert is still backing the ultra-tough speedster to put her best foot forward.

He added: “Hopefully she’s ready to run well and she will have to get her skates on around here.

“She’s drawn well which is great and makes a big difference – if she can break well, she is drawn well and she seems to be in great form. She’s had a busy season, but she seems bright and George couldn’t be happier with her.”

It is Archie Watson’s Bradsell who has proved a thorn in Believing’s side, winning both the Nunthorpe and Flying Five Stakes with the Boughey-trained sprinter in second.

A narrow defeat on testing ground in the Prix de l’Abbaye brought an end to Bradsell’s imperious winning run since returning from a career-threatening injury and he now searches for one last hurrah Stateside before a stallion career beckons.

Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Victorious Racing, said: “He didn’t really like the ground at Longchamp and he was very brave to run through that. We think he prefers a firmer surface and hopefully the surface should suit us out there.

“Obviously it’s not an ideal draw in 12, but hopefully he can get forward and the big American horse Cogburn (trained by Steven Asmussen, in nine) is also drawn a bit wide so hopefully they can get across and it does not impede him too much.

“He retires to the National Stud after this run and hopefully he can run one last big race and show us what he can do again.”

Also making his final career appearance is Big Evs, who is another having to combat being positioned out wide in stall 11.

He gave handler Mick Appleby one of the biggest days of his career when scorching to Juvenile Turf Sprint glory at Santa Anita last year, but will arguably need a career best to replicate Wesley Ward’s Golden Pal and bring the curtain down on his career in style with a Breeders’ Cup double.

“He’s got a tough ask being stuck out wide and hopefully he can break well like he normally does, otherwise I think he will be up against it from that draw,” said Appleby.

“He’s in good form and we know he can come round the bend well, I just hope he can jump well so he can get a decent position coming round the bend. We’ve freshened him up since York and he’s absolutely bouncing.

“It’s nice to go back to America and it will be nice to go out with a win, but as long as he comes back safe, that is always the main thing.”

Ralph Beckett’s Starlust was third behind Big Evs at Santa Anita 12 months ago and could cap a phenomenal autumn for the Arc-winning handler and his jockey Rossa Ryan, while Charlie Appleby will saddle Star Of Mystery who has built up plenty of experience in the US this summer.

“Star of Mystery will need to break from the draw and then get the breaks in running,” said Appleby.

“She put up two good performances at Saratoga where on one occasion you couldn’t see her because she’s so small. She won easily on her second start and was probably an unlucky loser at Keeneland. I think she will be bang there.”

Appleby has every chance of continuing Mile domination

When it comes to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Charlie Appleby has been an unstoppable force and he now goes for a record fourth straight success with 2000 Guineas hero Notable Speech at Del Mar on Saturday.

The Moulton Paddocks handler’s winning run began right here in the San Diego suburbs with Space Blues in 2021 and he has saddled Modern Games and Master Of The Seas to take home the prize for the last two years.

However, he now runs arguably his best contender yet in his Classic-winning son of Dubawi, who has shown his aptitude for a tight turning track when winning at Kempton in his early days and then his quality for red-hot assignments by scoring not only at Newmarket in the spring, but also in the Sussex Stakes.

Appleby said: “Notable Speech is in great form. If they go hard they will come back, but he’s one of those horses you would be comfortable about wherever he is during the race.

“He’s drawn six. I didn’t want to be any wider, but that gate still gives William (Buick, jockey) options. He’s an exciting horse and is, with his 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes wins, the highest-profile horse I’ve ever brought out here.”

Notable Speech was sunk by the ground in the Prix du Moulin last time out, with Appleby adding: “We know he doesn’t want soft ground, but he travelled and settled well and all the signs are good.”

The race lost some of its spice when Christopher Head’s Ramatuelle was ruled out of the race on Friday, but Notable Speech still faces a worthy adversary in Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna.

Second in the 1000 Guineas before landing the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, she has since cemented herself as one of Europe’s leading performers at the distance by adding Group One victories in the Falmouth Stakes and Matron Stakes.

“She ran a belter in the Guineas first time out and after that, she hasn’t missed a beat since,” said O’Brien.

“We’ve had a great year with her, it’s great to bring her back here and hopefully we can finish the year on a high. She’s trained very well, we’re very happy with her, she’s healthy and happy and everything has gone to plan, so all is good so far.”

Porta Fortuna will be partnered by Tom Marquand and the trip to Del Mar represents a chance to go one better than when just touched off at Santa Anita 12 month’s ago.

O’Brien added: “We learned last year that she handles it very well, she handles the travel good and she’s travelled over well again this year. You can never be sure how they will cope with a long flight like that and adjusting over here, it can be very different for them, but she’s got a great temperament, so we’re lucky that way.”

Donnacha’s father Aidan O’Brien will saddle the hat-trick-seeking Diego Velazquez, while Chad Brown’s Carl Spackler and Tim Yakteen’s Johannes appear the pick of the US contingent, both arriving on a winning streak.

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