Breeders' Cup Turf report: Tarnawa wins at Keeneland for trainer Dermot Weld
Colin Keane was at his brilliant best as he guided Tarnawa to victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, beating fellow Irish raider Magical in good style.
Keane, who was confirmed as Irish champion jockey for a second time earlier this week, was a late replacement for Tarnawa's regular pilot Christophe Soumillon but the rapidly-improving four-year-old lost little in the saddle as she motored to her third top-level success in as many starts.
Having been settled in the rear in the early exchanges, Keane was forced to watch on as the front-running Channel Maker built up a healthy lead up front.
The grey still had a few lengths in hand over the field when swinging for home but Keane was sitting quietly on Tarnawa (3/1) as she made up ground in stealthy fashion and when pulled out in the stretch, she picked up really well under a typically strong right-hand drive and began to eat into Channel Maker's lead.
Favourite Magical - who finished second in this race in 2018 - also made her move at the same time but she lacked the finishing kick of Tarnawa who surged into the lead with fifty yards to run and was a length on top at the finish.
Magical just edged out the gallant Channel Maker for second while the John Gosden-trained Lord North finished fourth.
Victory was a first for trainer Dermot Weld at the Breeders' Cup, but perhaps more significantly, it came only a matter of weeks after the stable had to say goodbye to long-serving stable jockey Pat Smullen who lost his battle with cancer in September.
Weld’s son, Mark, said: “It doesn’t get any bigger than this. These overseas prestige races in the autumn are what we train them for and I’m sad my dad is not here, but the Covid situation put paid to that.
“It was Colin’s first ride for us and there were no instructions. We left it completely up to him and as soon as I saw Colin pull her out, it was a like a jet seeing a runway and off she went.
“My father has been a long-standing supporter of American racing ever since Go And Go won the Belmont back in 1990. He worked in the United States as a boy and it’s very special to him.”
Keane said: “Mr Weld gave me a call and told me what was happening, and then he rang again today and said it would have been lovely if I’d sat on her before, because she takes a bit of knowing.
“They had worked with her at the stalls while she had been here and when I spoke to Oisin Orr he said the filly had done one of her pieces of work before she left Ireland.
“It’s been a brilliant year, it’s lovely to get this victory going home and it’s definitely the icing on the cake for the year we’ve had.”