Willie Mullins-trained duo Vauban and Absurde have fared well in the Lexus Melbourne Cup draw, being allotted stalls three and eight respectively.
Vauban is a firm favourite to win the race that stops a nation at Flemington on Tuesday after this season adding some impressive Flat form to his high-class hurdling exploits.
The five-year-old romped home by seven and a half lengths in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot before winning the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes at Naas.
Absurde was runner-up to his stablemate at Ascot and has since claimed victory in the Ebor at York.
Mullins finished second in Australia’s biggest race back in 2015 with Max Dynamite and believes he has the ammunition to go one better this time.
Ryan Moore is set to partner Vauban and Mullins said: “I think he’s as good as Max Dynamite and maybe better, we’ll find out that on Tuesday.
“It’s our strongest chance ever, it probably will be my strongest chance ever.
“We wouldn’t want to forget Absurde either, he did it very well with Frankie (Dettori) in the Ebor, Frankie gave him a terrific ride there.
“He has quarantined very well, and I think he’s in great shape.”
Zac Purton has been booked to ride Absurde and Mullins feels he has improved since clashing with Vauban at the Royal meeting.
“I think it’s going to be a different race and I think Absurde is going to be a different horse as well,” added the Irish trainer on racing.com.
“He’s learned to settle a good bit more and now that he’s got a nice draw, I think he’ll be able to put him where he wants him and that’ll make a huge difference.
“There was probably 20 lengths between them passing the winning post the first time around at Royal Ascot, there won’t be that here, I hope.”
Joseph O’Brien has already sent down two previous winners in Rekindling and Twilight Payment and this time relies on Okita Soushi.
He was also a Royal Ascot scorer in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes but struggled in the Caulfield Cup last time out and is an outsider here after being drawn out wide in stall 20.
Defending champion Gold Trip will line up alongside Vauban in stall two, former William Haggas inmate Soulcombe is in four and Caulfield Cup hero Without A Fight, previously trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, has drawn 16.
England won the inaugural WXV title with a 33-12 victory over New Zealand in Auckland.
A year after a heartbreaking loss to the same side in the World Cup final, the Red Roses claimed a comprehensive win in the new international team competition.
England made the perfect start with Alex Matthews grabbing the first of five tries in the fourth minute, and the lead was soon increased by a second for Lark Atkin-Davies.
They crossed for a third in the 23rd minute, a simple finish from Sarah Bern, before Ellie Kildunne was denied when replays showed her foot in touch before she went over.
New Zealand got on the board two minutes before half-time, Kennedy Simon scoring their first try, and a second in the 49th minute from Katelyn Vahaakolo fuelled hopes of a comeback from the hosts as they made it 19-12.
But Morwenna Talling finished off a period of England pressure with a fourth try and Zoe Aldcroft made sure of the victory before the unlucky Kildunne had another effort chalked off.
The Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets were among the victors as the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament began.
A last-second layup from Steph Curry was the difference for Golden State in their 141-139 group stage win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Curry finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Lu Dort top-scored for the Thunder with 29.
It also went down to the wire in Portland, where the Trail Blazers eclipsed the Memphis Grizzlies 115-113 in overtime.
After a back-and-forth first half, neither side was able to gain much of an advantage through the final two quarters.
Shaedon Sharpe’s clutch free throws drew the Trail Blazers level with eight seconds left on the clock before he blocked Luke Kennard’s attempt from the corner on the other end to force overtime.
Both teams continued to trade baskets until Jerami Grant’s late three proved enough to get Portland across the line.
A late flurry from Damian Lillard lifted the Milwaukee Bucks over the New York Knicks 110-105.
He finished with 30 points, including two clutch threes in the dying minutes, while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 points and eight rebounds.
The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Chicago Bulls 109-107 on the back of 41 combined points from Dorian Finney-Smith and Mikal Bridges.
Elsewhere, the Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards by seven points, Myles Turner scored 27 to lead the Indiana Pacers over the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-116, and the Denver Nuggets cruised past the Dallas Mavericks 125-114.
The in-season tournament sees each NBA team play a four-game group stage in November, with the group winners advancing to knockout rounds.
The winning team claims the NBA Cup, and its players earn 500,000dollars each, with the final to be played in Las Vegas on December 9.
British racing driver Susie Wolff announced on this day in 2015 she would retire from motor sport at the end of the season.
Wolff, aged 32 at the time, had become the first female to take part in a Formula One race weekend in more than two decades in first practice at the 2014 British Grand Prix with Williams.
The Scot had also taken part in practice for the German Grand Prix that year as well as sessions in Spain in 2015 and again at Silverstone – but expressed her belief as she announced her retirement that F1 having a competitive female driver was something that was not going to happen soon.
Wolff – married to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who was a minority shareholder in the Williams team – said: “My progression into Formula One came to represent so much more than a racing driver simply trying to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
“It was also the hope that finally there may again be a female on the starting grid.
“I rode the wave, was energised by all the support and fought hard. There were those who wanted it to happen. Those who didn’t.
“I can only tell you, I gave it my all. Do I think F1 is ready for a competitive female racing driver that can perform at the highest level? Yes. Do I think it is achievable as a woman? Most definitely. Do I think it will happen soon? Sadly no.
“We have two issues – not enough young girls starting in karting at a young age and no clear role model. Sometimes you just have to see it to believe it. My gut feeling tells me it is time to move on.”
Wolff, who competed in Formula Renault, Formula Three and the German DTM series before her stint in F1, was appointed as Williams development driver in 2012 before being promoted to the role of test driver.
But her hopes of becoming the first woman to start an F1 race since Lella Lombardi in 1976 suffered a huge setback when Adrian Sutil was signed up by Williams after Valtteri Bottas sustained an injury in qualifying for the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, a move that appeared to scupper any long-term hope she had of competing for the team in a race.
Wolff added: “At 13, the dream and the goal became Formula One. I got oh so close.
“I wanted and fought very hard to make it onto that starting grid but the events at the start of this year and the current environment in F1 the way it is, it isn’t going to happen.”
In March of this year, Wolff was appointed managing director of the all-female F1 Academy series.
The series aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition.
Nikola Jokic scored 33 points and fell an assist shy of a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets sent the Dallas Mavericks to their first loss of the season, 125-114 on Friday in the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
Michael Porter Jr. had 24 points and nine rebounds and Jamal Murray added 18 points and 13 assists to help Denver bounce back from its first loss of the season.
Jokic shot 14 of 16 and grabbed a season-high 14 boards, coming up an assist short of his 108th career triple-double.
Luka Doncic also just missed a triple-double with 34 points, 10 boards and eight assists and Kyrie Irving scored 22 points for Dallas, which opened the season 4-0.
The Mavericks were without coach Jason Kidd, who didn’t make the trip due to a non-COVID-19 illness. Top assistant Sean Sweeney took his spot on the bench.
Dallas' loss leaves 4-0 Boston as the league’s lone remaining unbeaten team.
Curry’s last-second layup lifts Warriors
Stephen Curry scored 30 points and made the winning layup with 0.2 seconds left to propel the Golden State Warriors to a 141-139 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the teams’ first In-Season Tournament game.
Curry’s basket was initially waved off because of offensive goaltending, but it was overturned, and the Warriors notched their second straight last-second win. Klay Thompson hit a jumper with less than a second remaining in Wednesday’s win over Sacramento.
Dario Saric had 20 points and Andrew Wiggins added 17 to help Golden State win its fifth straight since a season-opening loss to Phoenix.
Lu Dort led the Thunder with 29 points – including 6 of 6 from 3-point range - and Chet Holmgren had a career-high 24 on 7-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists.
Oklahoma City played without leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who sat out with a sprained knee.
Bucks overcome Brunson, Knicks
Damian Lillard scored six straight points down the stretch on his way to 30 points and the Milwaukee Bucks got past the New York Knicks, 110-105 to open the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
Milwaukee survived Jalen Brunson’s 45 points and blew a 14-point lead before Lillard sank a 3-pointer to give the Bucks a 104-103 lead with 1:03 left.
Lillard converted a three-point play 25 seconds later to make it 107-103 and sealed the win with two free throws in the waning seconds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Milwaukee, which has alternated wins and losses in each of its five games this season.
Brunson was 17 of 30 from the field and fell three points shy of his career high, set against Cleveland on March 31.
World number two Iga Swiatek and world number three Coco Gauff have both secured their spots in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.
Poland’s Swiatek confirmed her position with a 6-1 6-2 win over world number six Ons Jabeur.
Earlier, Gauff claimed a victory for US tennis fans in a battle of two of the major champions from this year.
She defeated Marketa Vondrousova 5-7 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the final round of group play on Friday night, ending the Czech player’s chances of advancing to the semi-finals.
The win was another feather in the cap for Gauff, making her the first teenager to make the final four of the year-end championships since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009.
She will now face Jessica Pegula while Swiatek takes on Aryna Sabalenka.
The New Jersey Devils lost star center Jack Hughes to an injury and Kevin Hayes scored twice in the St. Louis Blues’ 4-1 victory.
Hughes, who entered with an NHL-leading 15 assists and 20 points, left after awkwardly crashing into the boards following a slight hook by Blues defenseman Torey Krug. No penalty was called on the play.
New Jersey was already playing without center Nico Hischier, who missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury.
Jake Neighbours and Robert Thomas had the other goals and Jordan Binnington made 34 saves to prevent the Blues from a third consecutive loss.
Curtis Lazer scored for the Devils, who had won three in a row.
Ersson leads Flyers past Sabres
Samuel Ersson turned away 22 shots and Bobby Brink had a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Scott Laughton, Louie Belpedio, Travis Konecny and Garnet Hathaway also scored for the Flyers, who had allowed 15 goals during the three-game skid, including a 5-2 loss to the Sabres on Wednesday.
Henri Jokiharju had the lone goal for Buffalo, which failed in a bid for a three-game winning streak.
Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury.
Aidan O’Brien admitted his disappointment after River Tiber was ruled out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.
The Wootton Bassett colt was expected to be a major player in the mile contest after claiming third in the Middle Park Stakes on his most recent run, but River Tiber was scratched on vets’ advice just hours before his intended engagement.
Stablemate Bolshoi Ballet was also taken out of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf and O’Brien was pragmatic in his response.
He told ITV Racing: “He (River Tiber) was being checked all week, he seemed OK and the vets have checked him this morning and weren’t happy with him, so that’s the way it is. Obviously that’s the rules and I suppose there’s no more to say about that.
“We’re visitors here and we’re very grateful to be here, rules are rules and they just weren’t happy with him today.
“Obviously they’re athletes and they don’t pull out the same way every day, like we don’t get out of bed every day the same, and he might have been slightly stiffer today than he was yesterday.
“When you’re training horses that does happen and every athlete in the world will tell you the same, it’s very fractional and I suppose it’s opinion. I suppose there was a different panel of vets checking them all week and just a different vet checked him this morning and he wasn’t happy, so that’s the way it was.
“Obviously when we came here we were happy to abide by whatever rules were going to be set in this state by the Breeders’ Cup.
“We’re disappointed for the lads (owners) really, they put a lot in but that’s that way it is.
“Whatever decision the authorities make in any sport, you just have to stand by it, you don’t always agree with it but somebody has to make the decision, sometimes it will fall for you, sometimes it won’t. With these horses today, it didn’t fall for us.”
Of River Tiber’s future plans, he added: “I’d say he’ll have a break – this obviously would have been his last run and he will be trained for the Classics next year.”
The Ballydoyle handler still won the Juvenile Turf, with Unquestionable taking the prize under Ryan Moore.
O’Brien’s runners were not the only horses scratched, with the Jessica Harrington-trained Givemethebeatboys taken out of the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
The handler admitted the experience could make her think twice about bringing horses to the fixture in the future.
She said: “He has not had a single issue all week – he has been examined at least three times a day, he has been out on the track, he has galloped, he’s done stalls, there are vets on the gallops.
“He went out this morning as usual, did a little trot to come back in and the vets came to have a look at him and they decided he was not entirely level on his off fore.
“I don’t agree with them – I see where they trot our horses up is not a level place, you trot on some mats and then you’re on sand.
“It would definitely (deter me from bringing horses back). I brought out what I thought was a very sound horse, I know they have to be careful but being careful or over the top are two different things.”
Aidan O’Brien enjoyed a one-two in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf as Unquestionable led home Mountain Bear in the Grade One race.
There was a change of plan when stablemate River Tiber was unable to compete in the contest on veterinary advice, meaning Ryan Moore took the ride on Unquestionable in place of Frankie Dettori.
The former horse was expected to be a contender, but in his absence it was Unquestionable who strode to a decisive success as Mountain Bear was steered to the runner-up spot by Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Novak Djokovic silenced a partisan crowd with a 7-5 6-7 (3) 6-4 win over Holger Rune to march into the semi-finals and take another step towards a seventh Paris Masters crown.
In a repeat of the 2022 showpiece, Djokovic was able to brush off boos and a heated exchange with the umpire to edge out the Danish youngster in another three-set thriller in Bercy.
Victory for Djokovic extended his winning streak to 16 matches and helped avenge last year’s loss to Rune in the ATP 1000 tournament.
The first set was extremely hard-fought and it was not until deuce in the 12th game that a break point was fashioned, but world number one Djokovic showed his class by taking full advantage with a volley at the net to edge the opener.
It was a different story in set two with early breaks exchanged before Djokovic forced a match point at 5-4 only for Rune to hold his nerve in front of new coach Boris Becker.
Djokovic came to blows with umpire Renaud Lichtenstein during the same service game over a challenge by Rune, which resulted in boos from the Paris crowd at the end of the second set after Rune had taken the tie-breaker.
View this post on InstagramThe 24-time grand-slam champion regrouped in impressive fashion though and clinched an early break in the third set to move 3-1 up before the top seed closed out a gutsy victory in two hours and 54 minutes.
Djokovic appeared to mimic England and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham in his celebration with his arms outstretched before he looked around at the Accor Arena crowd.
Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica were fourth and sixth, respectively, in the final of the Men’s 4x100m relay at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile on Thursday.
The Trinidadian quartet of Eric Harrison Jr, Judah Taylor, Kyle Greaux and Jerod Elcock combined to run 39.54, narrowly missing out on the bronze medal won by Argentina in 39.48.
Jamaica’s quartet of Michael Sharpe, Andrae Dacres, Odaine McPherson and Jevaughn Whyte ran 39.81 in sixth.
The gold medal was won by Brazil in 38.68 while Cuba ran 39.26 in second.
Hard To Justify was a tough winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf for Flavien Prat and Chad Brown.
The bay came into the race with two races and two victories under her belt and showed a great will to win when when surrounded by horses during the turn for home.
She put her head down in the home straight and pushed through in the middle to retain her unbeaten record.
European trainers provided plenty of interest in the mile contest with Simon and Ed Crisford’s Carla’s Way well fancied after her Rockfel Stakes win, with Aidan O’Brien fielding Content and his son Donnacha sending his Cheveley Park winner Porta Fortuna.
It was the last-named filly who fared best of the raiders, with jockey Oisin Murphy going for a run up the inside rail in the straight before eventually having to settle for second.
Murphy felt the race had not gone in his mount’s favour and said: “I was unhappy with the pace. They went very steady and I would have liked to find more space down the inner where it got a bit congested.”
Content finished with a flourish in fourth having been sat near the rear of the field, but Carla’s Way was unplaced after racing on the outside of the pack and dropping away in the straight.
James Doyle rode Carla’s Way and thought the filly failed to produce her best effort.
He said: “She jumped like her usual self but was keen all the way down the back. On the bend she lugged out and I feel we can draw a line through it.”
Jaheel Hyde emerged victorious in the men’s final of the 400m hurdles and at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile on Friday.
In winning Jamaica’s first gold medal of the games, Hyde clocked 49.19 for a comfortable victory over Brazil’s Matheus Lima, who won the silver medal in a time of 49.69. Cuba’s Yoao Illas was close behind in third in 49.74.
To date, Jamaica has so far won five medals at the games – one gold and four bronze medals – at the games.
Big Evs did connections proud as he swept to success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
Mick Appleby’s colt broke well and ran prominently throughout, trailing Crimson Advocate around the bend having started as the favourite under Tom Marquand.
From there the duo pulled away to seal victory for the British in the first Grade One event of the meeting.
Max Verstappen required just one lap to put his Red Bull on pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The triple world champion saw off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc as a huge storm brought a premature end to qualifying in Interlagos.
Verstappen finished three tenths clear of Leclerc as he chases his 17th win of a remarkable season, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso third and fourth respectively for Aston Martin.
Lewis Hamilton took fifth, one place ahead of George Russell in the other Mercedes, with Lando Norris, who waited too long in the pit lane as the downpour approached, finishing a disappointing seventh.
Verstappen said the Red Bull machine – which has this year carried him to a third world title and a record 16 victories from the 19 rounds so far – was “bouncing around like a kangaroo” in the opening phase of qualifying.
But the Dutchman delivered at the pivotal moment after he wasted no time in putting in a lap with Q3 predicted to be hit by a huge storm.
“We did not know when the weather would hit but this is insane,” said Verstappen
“It seems that it will be very close in the race. You can see that in qualifying and I expect the same on Sunday.”
Leclerc said: “In my whole career I have never experienced anything like that.
“From turn four there was no rain but the car was very difficult to drive with no grip and I was thinking about coming in at the end of the lap, but we finished second which was a good surprise.”
Verstappen was one of the first on track but Norris, who had looked to be a contender – indeed he was the fastest man in Q2 – elected to stay in his garage.
As the bad weather arrived, Norris could not get his McLaren up to speed and he finished 1.2sec back while his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was one of the last to join the circuit, span off at the final corner.
Sergio Perez was following Piastri and he had to back out, leaving him only ninth.
Moments later, the running was abandoned as heavy rain and thunder and lightning arrived underneath black skies.
Hamilton vowed not to leave Interlagos empty-handed after team-mate Russell took Mercedes’ sole victory of the season here a year ago.
However, the British driver, who is approaching two years without a win, faces an uphill task to end his losing streak after he finished seven tenths back.
Russell’s chances of following up his maiden win with another triumph on Brazilian soil also suffered a setback.
Russell, who is under investigation for impeding Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in the pit lane in Q1, was a tenth behind Hamilton. Hamilton now holds an 11-9 qualifying record over his younger team-mate.
Daniel Ricciardo put his name in the frame to bump Perez out of Red Bull next year following a display in Mexico hailed as “remarkable” by Christian Horner.
But after he qualified fourth in Mexico City, before finishing seventh, Ricciardo hit a stumbling block at Interlagos when he fell at the first hurdle.
The 34-year-old Australian will line up from only 17th place for Sunday’s race, one spot behind AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Deshaun Watson will be back at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Friday that Watson would return after taking all the first-team reps in practice.
It will be Watson's first start since Week 7, when he was knocked out after taking a big hit in the first quarter of Cleveland's 39-38 victory at the Indianapolis Colts. He was cleared of a concussion but hurt his ailing right shoulder.
Backup quarterback P.J. Walker got the start in last Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, already the third game of the season Watson missed.
Watson initially hurt his throwing shoulder in the Browns' 27-3 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3. He then warmed up prior to the Browns' Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, but was ultimately ruled out.
The three-time Pro Bowler said on Thursday that he tried to come back too soon, and Stefanski said on Friday that Watson is ready to play.
Watson has thrown for 683 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions for the 4-3 Browns, who are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for third place in the AFC North.
Carlos Sainz led Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari one-two in practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Sainz finished 0.108 seconds clear of Leclerc in the sole running before qualifying at Interlagos later on Friday.
George Russell took third spot for Mercedes, 0.133 sec adrift of Sainz, with Lewis Hamilton 12th and triple world champion Max Verstappen 16th in a topsy-turvy session.
Leclerc has been on pole at the past two races and Ferrari’s speed in Sao Paulo suggests the Italian team could be the favourites to lead the order again in qualifying.
However, neither Russell or Hamilton, nine tenths behind, posted a lap on the speediest soft tyre compound, with both British drivers electing to choose the medium rubber.
Verstappen, just over one second off Leclerc’s pace, also did not show his hand after he ran on the hard tyres.
Lando Norris finished 19th after he banged wheels with Nico Hulkenberg.
Norris attempted to make his way past the German driver at Turn 12 but their two machines made contact, and Hulkenberg was summoned to see the stewards.
Hulkenberg finished fourth ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll.
Qualifying for Sunday’s main event is due to get under way at 3pm local time (6pm GMT).
Aidan O’Brien has had his eye on the Breeders’ Cup Turf all year for Auguste Rodin.
The fact the beautifully-bred colt has won the Derby at Epsom, the Irish equivalent and the Irish Champion Stakes already only adds to his appeal.
Being by the Japanese champion Deep Impact and out of the Galileo mare Rhododendron, a three-times Group One-winning sister to the brilliant Minding, Auguste Rodin had every chance of making it to the top.
There have been bumps in the road, namely no-shows in the 2000 Guineas and the King George at Ascot, but O’Brien feels he has got to the bottom of those and everything is in place for another big run.
“This is the race for Auguste Rodin, it’s a lovely flat track and we’ve probably had our eye on this one all year,” said O’Brien.
“The (Irish) Champion Stakes should have set him up lovely for it.
“He’s a very well-balanced horse and on breeding one we have dreamed about. A Galileo mare with Deep Impact.
“The couple of times he got beat he flew in on the day but he’s travelled over here well and is beautifully relaxed. I think he’s totally happy in himself.
“He’s a big personality and confident in himself. I’m looking forward to him showing what he can do.”
O’Brien has won the Turf more than any other trainer, six times. But John Gosden has a success to his name through Enable and is hoping Mostahdaf can sign off his career in the best possible fashion.
The five-year-old has been enjoying himself in the mornings at Santa Anita, and is all set for one more big assignment before he retires to take up stallion duties.
His victories in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International are two of the best pieces of form European racing has to offer this season over 10 furlongs, but he faces an extra quarter of a mile here.
“Mosthadaf is the most cheerful of horses and is thoroughly enjoying himself,” said Gosden.
“Horses can be vociferous like him out here. He’s a great joy to train and can go out and shout like Stradivarius who was also raw.
“The Classic has cut up and the Turf is by far the best race on the card. I wouldn’t underestimate the French horse (Onesto). It’s a fabulous mile-and-a-half turf race.”
It is only two weeks since King Of Steel brought the house down at Ascot by lunging late to provide Frankie Dettori with the perfect send-off in Britain by lifting the Champion Stakes.
Trainer Roger Varian acknowledges the quick turnaround, but has been delighted with his condition both before his trip across the Atlantic and since touching down on the American west coast.
He said: “He seems to be thriving and we will never know until those gates open and we see how he performs, but in his demeanour and action and the way he is, we really couldn’t be happier with him and we have our fingers crossed for a good performance.
“You have to treat every horse as an individual and they are all a little bit different, but he has a great constitution and seems to have taken the Ascot race in his stride. Horses can really thrive at this time of year or they can cry enough. He’s not had too busy a season, he’s only had the five races nicely spaced out.
“He travelled out here well and with the sun on his back and the change of scenery, he seems to be in great form. The vibes he’s giving us are really positive.”
King Of Steel is set to stay in training for the 2024 season and Varian is hoping the trip to California will serve his colt well in the long-term no matter what the result on Saturday.
“I think win, lose or draw the experience won’t be lost on him and will stand him in good stead for whatever we aim him at next year,” he added.
“He’s going to stay in training so he’s an exciting horse for us all to look forward to next year and horses often improve with racing and different experiences.
“Hopefully we will come home with a prize but if we don’t, then I don’t think it will be a wasted experience.”
Bricks And Mortar in 2019 was the last home-trained winner, but in Todd Pletcher’s Up To The Mark there is a live threat to the Europeans.
A revelation since switching to the grass from dirt, his last three starts have produced Grade One victories, most recently beating Charlie Appleby’s Master Of The Seas.
And while like Mostahdaf he must prove as effective at a mile and a half, his Hall of Fame trainer is confident in that regard.
“He’s a horse that trained very impressively before his debut, which he won, at Saratoga,” Pletcher said.
“Then we got a little bit frustrated with what he did after his maiden win. After his last his last dirt race at Aqueduct, I said, ‘You know, I think this might be a turf horse’.
“We just feel like the strength of his race in the Manhattan at a mile and a quarter and the firm ground in California that the mile and a half is what he’s best suited for.
“The real key is the way he settles. He was very relaxed in the Coolmore Mile early on, which allowed him to deliver that big kick. And he did the same thing in the Manhattan. And also the (Bourbon) Turf (Classic) at Churchill.
“He turns off, he can gallop and then he can accelerate. As long as he does that, going a mile and a half, we feel confident that he can get that distance.”
Adam West has left no stone unturned in his quest to ensure Live In The Dream plays a starring role in their once-in-a-lifetime shot at Breeders’ Cup glory.
The Epsom-based trainer of course shares his name with the actor most famous for portraying Batman and it is perhaps fitting that Live In The Dream’s blockbuster rise to the top of the sprinting tree reaches its climax a stones throw away from Hollywood in Santa Anita.
Owned by the charismatic Steve and Jolene de’Lemos, the four-year-old started the season with a pair of victories in the handicap ranks before his stock slowly rose throughout the season.
Placed efforts in both the Palace House Stakes and Temple Stakes served notice of Live In The Dream’s potential, but he announced himself as a star of the sprinting ranks with a thrilling all-the-way victory in the Nunthorpe at York – incredibly the first time his handler had saddled a runner in Group One company.
That Knavesmire rout secured Live In The Dream’s ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and having shown all the right signs during an exploratory visit to Keeneland, the thriving gelding now has the burden of being the big-race favourite for a contest won just the once by a British raider.
“We’re very happy and we’ve come here at the perfect time to get the best of the atmosphere,” said West.
“I think the ground and the track are so important to our horse. In the Palace House it was too stiff and five and a half furlongs at Keeneland didn’t suit him either, but this is ideal. He is all five – one yard further and that’s it! York was always going to be his best chance at home.
“The pressure is on now, I’d rather we were 28-1, but it’s justified given his form. If we were to have any chance it is here.”
Live In The Draw will break from stall five, with defending champion and one of the big dangers Caravel not far away in three.
It is a spot West is delighted to be in as he attempts to put the historic training centre of Epsom back on the world map.
He added: “They have done so well with the track and we were blessed with a cracking draw, with Caravel two down from us who can give us a lead. I didn’t want to be out wide or stuck on the rail.
“Caravel is so tenacious; she’s been brought into this race well. Credit is due, she’s looking like she’s about to hit her best form, so she’s respected with her speed and the way she runs. If we end up going head-to-head with her it could be a real ding-dong battle.
“Epsom has done its time and hopefully we can now focus on getting good horses back there. I hope he can show on Saturday that the job can be done.”
Also happy with Live In The Dream’s position in stall five is his big-race jockey Sean Kirrane who has become an integral part of the story.
Having also tasted Group One glory for the first time at York in the summer he has played a key role in preparing the son of Prince Of Lir for his moment in the Californian sun and is backing his charge to hit the right note when the bell sounds and the gates ping open.
Kirrane said: “I suppose you are in a position where if you do miss half a beat you are able to recover and not get swamped early on booting in from a wide draw. That is one of the positives about being drawn a bit further off the fence.
“The horse shouldn’t miss the kick, he was electric out of the stalls at Keeneland. It was something I didn’t expect, I thought he might be half a step slower away than the American horses but he was right on terms with them and then ultimately a lot quicker than them in the early part of the race.
“We expect him to do the same again and we’re very happy with the draw. There are some useful horses drawn inside him, the likes of Caravel, and he has to get away on terms with them and the Japanese horse outside looks very fast. But we’re happy and the horse goes there in great form.”
The European challenge was dented when Royal Ascot hero Bradsell was scratched from the contest on Wednesday evening, but joining Live In The Dream in the line-up is Aidan O’Brien’s Aesop’s Fables fresh from a welcome return to form in the Prix de l’Abbaye.
The Ballydoyle hopeful was beaten a length in third behind Highfield Princess at ParisLongchamp and the mount of Ryan Moore will once again be wearing the blinkers which sparked him into life in the French capital.
“The time Ryan rode him before the Abbaye he said this guy is stuck in second gear and not doing a stroke, he’s just cruising along,” said O’Brien.
“We put the blinkers on him at home and Seamus (Heffernan) jumped him out of the stalls in blinkers and said he felt a totally different horse. That’s why the blinkers are on him.
“Ryan felt in France that if he had challenged the winner earlier he might have finished even closer and it was a huge run out of him and probably back to the best of his two-year-old form or even above it.
“We’re looking forward to it, he’s drawn out a little bit, but there’s speed on his inside so he will slot in and see what will happen.”
Joining the defending champion Caravel at the heart of the American challenge is Live In The Dream’s Woodford Stakes conqueror Arzak who represents Michael Trombetta, while Philip D’Amato’s Motorious is interesting having improved significantly on what he achieved in Britain when trained by Stuart Williams.
Christophe Clement is double-handed with Roses For Debra and Royal Ascot also ran Big Invasion, with Hideyuki Mori’s Jasper Krone adding a further international flavour to the contest having made the trip over from Japan.
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