Breeders Cup - First day

The annual racing jamboree that is the Breeders Cup begins today at Santa Anita in Los Angeles with a very strong European challenge. The Europeans won 5 races here last year and hopes are high that this total can be equalled this time. Because of the time difference, the races are run in the late evening CET, with the first event this evening, the Marathon, at 21.35. This should go to a European runner, with Mastery (Saeed bin Suroor/ Frankie Dettori) holding the best chance.

He holds Father Time (Henry Cecil/ Eddie Ahern) on St. Leger form, and last year´s winner Ralph Beckett´s Muhannak (Ryan Moore) appears to be out of form. The Juvenile Fillis Turf at 22.08 has the only German runner of the meeting in the line-up, Peter Schiergen´ s Junia Tepzia (Kieren Fallon). The filly, who stays in the States after the race, is unbeaten after two runs in Italy but will do well to be placed. Lillie Langtry (Aidan O´Brien/ Johnny Murtagh) is regarded as the Irish banker of the meeting, while House of Grace (Kenneth McPeek/ Michael Luzzi) looks the best American. McPeek also has good prospects in the following Juvenile Fillies at 22.45, where he has two runners, but we prefer Always a Princess (Bob Baffert/ Garrett Gomez). The Fillies and Mares Turf at 23.23 looks between Midday (Henry Cecil/ Tom Queally) and last year´s winner Forever Together (Jonathan Sheppard/ Julien Leparoux).

The hottest favourite of the evening is likely to be another 2008 winner, Ventura (Bobby Frankel/ Garrett Gomez) in the Filly and Mare Sprint at 00.02, but we are interested in a longshot here - Only Green (Freddie Head/ Olivier Peslier); she has come basically as a travelling companion to the much higher profile Goldikova, who runs in the mile tomorrow, but won in good style last time and may be up to this huge leap in class. Finally, the Ladies Classic, to be run at 00.45 (!) looks much more open now that Zenyatta goes for tomorrow´s Classic. Godolphin´s Music Note (Rajiv Maragh) and Cocoa Beach (Richard Migliore) finished second and third to Zenyatta last year and could move up a place, but Careless Jewel (Josie Campbell/ Robert Landry) looks a big danger, while the Europeans will be rooting for Rainbow View (John Gosden/ Leparoux).

Betting forecast:
3. Race: Mastery - Father Time - Nite Light
4. Race: Lillie Langtry - House Of Grace - Junia Tepzia
5. Race: Blind Luck - Connie And Michael - Negligee
6. Race: Forever Together - Magical Fantasy - Midday
7. Race: Ventura - Informed Decision - Sara Louise
8. Race: Music Note - Careless Jewel - Rainbow View

N.H. racing at Fontwell, Hexham and Down Royal (N. Ireland)

Down Royal stages its best meeting of the year this weekend, and Ruby Walsh, making his comeback from foot injury, can take the opening 3yo hurdle at 14.05 CET on Willie Mullins´ Doctor Deejay. In the main event, a Grade 3 hurdle over 2 1/2 miles at 15.05 he partners Luska Lad for Jonjo Hanlon, but this one will need to improve to trouble the more experienced Go Native (Noel Meade/ Paul Carberry) and Voler La Vedette (Colm Murphy/ Matt O´Connor). The mares novice hurdle at 14.35 is also a Grade Three and here Premier Victory (Tom Hogan/ John Cullen) and Golden Sunbird (Paul Nolan/ Aidan Cawley) seem to hold the best chences. Meade and Carberry also hve a good chance in the beginners chase at 16.05, when they run the top hurdler Nicanor. The racing at the two British jumps tracks is of much lower standard. Tony McCoy can with both divisions of the novice hurdle at Hexham for trainer Howard Johnson, with Sitting Tenant at 15.50 and River Music half an hour later. At Fontwell, Jump Jet (Nigel Twiston-Davies/ Paddy Brennan), who made an impressive winning comeback last week, can follow up under top weight in the handicap chase at 15.40.

All-weather racing at Southwell and Wolverhampton

Plenty of racing today, but obviously nothing that remotely compares to the sport on offer tonight in California. The Godolphin team are strongly represented at Santa Anita, but they continue to score regularly at a more modest level in the U.K. and could well win 3 more races today, 2 this afternoon at Southwell and one at Wolverhmpton´s evening meeting. At Southwell their candidates are debutant Con Artist (Daragh O´Donohoe) and Judiciary (Ted Durcan) in the 2yo mile maiden at 14.00 CET, and Tertiary (Durcan) in a 2yo handicap half an hour later. At Wolverhampton La De Two (DaneO´Neill) looks a near-certainty to win the 9 1/2 furlongs maiden at 21.20. He was trained last year by Barry Hills, and his form when runner-up in a hot Doncaster maiden on his only start, is more than good enough to win this. Otherwise the battle between Freddie Tylicki and David Probert goes into its final phase today and Tylicki must be favourite to be crowned champion, as Probert is suspended tom orrow. Both have several promising rides today.