Breeders' Cup 2012
Preview
Irish
trainer Aidan O’Brien is eyeing success in the bet365 racing online action at the Breeders’ Cup meeting next
month at Santa Anita with Excelebration and St Nicholas Abbey both fancied in
their respective races at the two day meeting.
Excelebration,
who has had to settle for second place on some many occasions in his career
behind the great Frankel (favourite in the Champion Stakes betting), showed his class in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes when
scoring three lengths ahead of the Group One field on British
Champions Day at Ascot. His odds for the Breeders’ Cup Mile were immediately
slashed in the States. His biggest challenge will come from American-trained
Wise Dan who has been the star miler across the Atlantic this year.
The
field should also include Moonlight Cloud who has already had two Group One
wins in France during 2012 and also finished second behind the australian
sprinting superstar Black Caviar at Royal Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
In
the Breeders’ Cup Turf, St Nicholas Abbey and Joseph O’Brien are aiming to
retain the crown they won 12 months ago. The Ballydoyle pair finished three
lengths ahead of Sea Moon who does not travel over for the meeting this year.
The
European contingent in the race could also include the French filly Shareta.
The 2011 Arc runner-up won the Yorkshire Oaks back in August and then followed
that up with success at Longchamp in the Group One Prix Vermeille. She could do
no better than ninth place though in this year’s Arc which was won by Solemia.
The
Breeders’ Cup Classic looks set to be a battle of the American horses. Game on
Dude currently heads the market where connections will be hoping he can go one
better than in this race in 2011. The five-year old was just over a
length behind the surprise 20/1 winner Drosselmeyer. His campaign so far in
2012 includes three victories including success at the same track in the Grade
One Goodwood Stakes on his latest appearance.
Royal
Delta was the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic 12 months ago and may
now takes on the opposite sex at Santa Anita. She’ll be hoping to repeat what
Zenyatta did in 2009 and land the big prize. The four-year old has also had
three wins this season so goes into the race in good form. Connections have
also given Royal Delta an entry into the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic once
again in case they do decide it is a better route for her to try and defend her
crown against the fillies and mares.