Aidan O’Brien has moved ever closer to another British trainers’ title after Giant Sequoia powered to Futurity Trophy glory at Doncaster, and Ballydoyle kept the big-race winners flowing with a Group 1 double in France on Sunday. Constitution Hill could only finish fifth in Milan, while the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland is now just days away.
Here is the racing news today, rounded up for Monday.
Giant Sequoia puts O’Brien on the brink of the title
Giant Sequoia gave Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 13th Futurity Trophy on Town Moor on Saturday, and a first Group 1 for Ballydoyle to Dylan Browne McMonagle. The 11/1 shot travelled strongly on heavy ground before picking up impressively when asked, stretching three lengths clear of Andrew Balding’s Gran Dia, with stablemate and 11/8 favourite Noble Exhibit a length back in third. The Frankel colt was one of the four selections in our Saturday Lucky 15.
“He’s very classy, he could be anything next year,” said O’Brien, who drew a line through a below-par run in the National Stakes when his string was off colour. “I’d say he’s a Guineas, Derby, French Derby horse, all those things.” More importantly for Ballydoyle, the result takes O’Brien just shy of £200,000 clear of Balding in the trainers’ championship, and with the British season reaching its final stretch, a ninth title looks to be in the bag.
Drumbeat and Queenstown land Saint-Cloud double
O’Brien was at it again at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, where Ryan Moore steered two Ballydoyle winners in the space of 77 minutes. Drumbeat led home a one-two for the yard in the Group 1 Critérium de Saint-Cloud, beating stablemate Shakespeare by two lengths at 4/6. He is now as short as 14/1 for next year’s Derby.
Queenstown then made amends for his narrow defeat in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot by landing the Prix Royal-Oak at 5/2, holding off Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent by three-quarters-of-a-length on soft ground. It was not quite a clean sweep, though, as Capability Brown went down by half-a-length as the 6/4 favourite in the Critérium International.
Constitution Hill fifth in Milan, but France could be next
There was to be no completion of the Italian job for Constitution Hill, who finished fifth behind German winner Stingray in the Group 2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club at San Siro. Rossa Ryan had the former Champion Hurdler tucked into the main pack for most of the mile-and-a-half contest before asking for his effort early in the long home straight, but he could not land a blow in the closing stages.
Nicky Henderson was far from downbeat, though. “Constitution Hill has run a great race,” said the Seven Barrows handler. “It was just in the last 100 yards you could see he wasn’t going to win.” The nine-year-old’s Flat career is not over yet, either, with Henderson now looking for a race in France to give him another run on proper soft ground before the end of the year.
All eyes on Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup returns to Keeneland on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, with 14 Grade 1s across the two days and the European raiders out in force once again. Ombudsman will not be making the trip, with the Japan Cup in mind instead, but last year’s Turf winner Ethical Diamond, Arc runner-up Bay City Roller and Ballydoyle’s Diamond Necklace are among the names in the frame for the Turf.
Charlie Appleby’s Notable Speech bids to defend his crown in the Mile, where Andrew Balding’s Blue Bolt could take on the colts, while July Cup winner Comanche Brave and Abbaye heroine Miss Yechance head the European challenge in the Turf Sprint. In the juvenile races, Cheveley Park winner Sun Goddess is set to clash with Amusingly in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Folsom Blues heads for the Juvenile Turf.
Racing today
Redcar — first race: 12:25 · last race: 16:05
Hereford — first race: 12:48 · last race: 16:00
Wexford — first race: 13:00 · last race: 16:15
Leicester — first race: 13:07 · last race: 16:24
Galway — first race: 13:12 · last race: 16:32
Kempton — first race: 16:10 · last race: 20:15
Southwell — first race: 16:30 · last race: 20:30
[View today’s racecards] · [Latest non-runners] · [Today’s results]