Leading British-based form expert Graham Dench throws the spotlight on the European challenge for ‘Future Stars Friday’ at Del Mar
The Breeders’ Cup returns to Del Mar on Friday for the fourth time in nine years, and the Europeans are fielding a typically formidable team – in the turf races, of course.
The Californian track, picturesquely described in song by Bing Crosby many years ago as “where the turf meets the surf”, has been a happy hunting ground for Europe over the years, and another rewarding challenge is on the cards with regular Breeders’ Cup winners Aidan O’Brien and Charlie Appleby backed up by the likes of Andrew Balding, Ralph Beckett and new French powerhouse Francis Graffard.
O’Brien is tied with the late D Wayne Lukas as leading trainer in the event’s histiry with 20 winners. He won the Juvenile Turf with Mendelssohn and the Juvenile Turf Sprint (then only Listed status) with Declarationofpeace when the Breeders’ Cup first came to Del Mar in 2017, while Appleby took the Filly & Mare Turf with Wuheida. Four years later Appleby and William Buick enjoyed a memorable treble with Modern Games, Space Blues and Yibir.
While there was huge disappointment for O’Brien (right) last year when City Of Troy ran no race in the Classic, Europe has seldom cut much ice on dirt. It was a different story in the turf races, in which the world #1 trainer struck with the juveniles Lake Victoria and Henri Matisse.
O’Brien is currently just three winners short of his own world record 28 G1 wins in a calendar year and he sends a really powerful team, with Prix de ‘Arc de Triomphe runner-up Minnie Hauk joined by three likely favourites in the juvenile races.
Appleby returns with Rebel’s Romance, who will be bidding to become just the third horse to win three times at the Breeders’ Cup when he goes against Minnie Hauk in the Turf. The Godolphin trainer will also have strong candidates in the Mile, which he has already won three times, and the Filly & Mare Turf.
France’s new champion trainer-elect Graffard has yet to score at the Breeders' Cup, but he has had just five runners and went close with Malavath in the 2021 Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Graffard (right) is operating at a completely different level now with his top level wins already this year including a King George, an Arc and a Champion Stakes. With a solid team of three headed by Goliath, supplemented at the request of Resolute Bloodstock’s John Stewart, you certainly couldn’t bet confidently against him breaking the ice here.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
Europe can get off to a flying start on ‘Future Stars Friday’ with the O’Brien-trained TRUE LOVE. She’s already a G1 winner over six furlongs in Newmarket’s Cheveley Park Stakes, in which she beat Havana Anna, trained by O’Brien’s son Donnacha, and her Royal Ascot success in the Queen Mary Stakes suggests she will have little trouble with the shorter trip. Although she has a wide draw in stall nine to overcome, she looks the clear pick on form.
Havana Anna gave the impression she was tiring towards the finish at Newmarket, so the shorter distance here ought to suit. She is narrowly preferred to True Love’s stablemates Brussels – drawn one, narrowly holds Aspect Island on recent Newmarket form – and Mission Central, a winner at Ascot last time.
Charlie Appleby broke Wesley Ward’s stranglehold on this race when Mischief Magic became the first of three successive European winners in 2022. He fields Military Order, who needs to improve.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Another major chance for Aidan O’Brien as he saddles both PRECISE and Beautify.
Like the stable’s 2024 winner Lake Victoria, Precise arrives at Del Mar with two G1 wins to her name already, having outstayed Beautify in the seven-furlong Moyglare Stud Stakes (which Lake Victoria also won), before relishing the extra distance of Newmarket’s Fillies’ Mile, in which she bounded home well clear of a decent field. She looks a standout on form and is taken to overcome a wide draw in stall 13.
Queen Of Hawaii, who is trained by O’Brien’s older son Joseph, looked a strong stayer at this trip when winning a G3 at Leopardstown last time and she is still very much on the upgrade.
She is preferred to Andrew Balding’s May Hill Stakes second Pacific Mission and Donnacha O’Brien’s Balantina, who has been placed twice at G3 level but needs to improve significantly.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Aidan O'Brien looks to hold the key yet again through his Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad, who has been knocking at the door in G1 company with three consecutive close seconds.
On his latest start he was beaten only by shock winner Gewan in a somewhat messy running of Newmarket’s Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs, and that race is traditionally recognised as Europe's foremost two-year-old event.
He’s not a bet at likely short odds, as stall 14 is not ideal and the extra distance poses a question here judged on pedigree. However, he wasn’t stopping at the end of the Dewhurst and he remains the likeliest winner.
Hugo Palmer has Ardisia, who has been making relentless improvement but will be having his first start in Graded company, and Joseph O’Brien runs North Coast, who looked classy when a six-length winner of his G3 but disappointed next time when stepped up to G1 company. A subsequent seven-week absence suggests something might not have been quite right with North Coast that day and he could give Gstaad something to think about.
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