2008 Turf winner Conduit heads Faulkner’s First XI (Benoit)

After an incredible night of European success at the Breeders’ Cup 12 months ago, it should come as no surprise that trainers from this side of the pond are preparing our strongest ever salvo to fire at Santa Anita.

Yes, we’re without the outstanding champion of 2009, Sea The Stars, but he’ll certainly be there in spirit as so many horses that he’s beaten over trips from a mile to 12 furlongs are all set to race in the Breeders’ Cup.

For reference, that list includes Conduit, Dar Re Mi, Twice Over, Delegator, Mastercraftsman and our big Classic hope Rip Van Winkle — who has seen the back of Sea The Stars no fewer than three times in 2009.

Here, www.attheraces.com US racing expert Barry Faulkner has hand-picked a First XI of the European team, which he feels are most likely to adapt to the climate, configuration, and surface at Santa Anita.

Conduit (Sir Michael Stoute) – Turf

There is no doubt that the crazy pace profile in last year’s Turf played right into the hooves of Conduit. Ryan Moore rode an exemplary race, getting his mount to settle well off the searching early pace set by Red Rock Canyon, whose stable companion Soldier Of Fortune raced close up. John Murtagh struck for home on that lad as the field turned for home, but his short lead at the furlong pole didn’t last long as Conduit challenged last, coming home for a comfortable score. He returned this year with a nose defeat to Cima De Triomphe in the Brigadier Gerard G3, a result that still baffles me whenever I watch the real time finish. He was unable to handle Sea The Stars and Rip Van Winkle in the Eclipse G1 but still did best of the older contingent, who had to give weight to the younger brigade. His moment in the limelight came on his next start, when he was a comfortable winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes G1, leading home a 1-2-3 for his trainer. His return effort in the Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe G1 was a real stormer. Coming after a ten weeks lay off, he raced upsides Sea The Stars and, like that colt, took time to settle before making his challenge down the outside. Although he couldn’t reach John Oxx’s superstar, he was only beaten two heads for 2nd place. As things stand, this year’s Turf is looking like a weaker affair than last time around, and his main challenger may be from stablemate Spanish Moon.

Dar Re Mi (John Gosden) – Turf / Filly and Mare Turf

The story of Dar Re Mi’s year had been very eventful, and there is every chance that she can write its climactic chapter at Santa Anita. She made her 2009 return in the Middleton Stakes G3 in mid May, where she was sent off as 4-5 favourite, but was outnodded by Crystal Capella at the end of the ten and half furlongs trip. She went to Ireland for her next start, in the Pretty Polly G1, and this time she was the winner by the minimum margin, to provide her first top grade score, a success that earned her a ‘win and you’re in’ spot for the Filly and Mare Turf. She then outbattled the Oaks G1 winner Sariska in the Yorkshire version and followed that with a first past the post effort, 2 lengths clear of Stacellita, in the Prix Vermeille G1. Then came one of the most contentious disqualifications of this year when the Longchamp stewards relegated John Gosden’s charge to 5th place, after a clearly minor infringement. She also ran in the Arc G1, finishing 5th just a length behind Conduit. She made her challenge before that colt and was only overtaken late on, so it is easy to understand why connections may be tempted by the Turf over a mile and half, rather than the Filly and Mare Turf covering a quarter of mile less ground. She certainly gives the impression that the tight scuttling turns at Santa Anita will suit her.

Fleeting Spirit (Jeremy Noseda) – Sprint / Turf Sprint

Fleeting Spirit was sent off as a tepid favourite in last year’s Turf Sprint, where she was slowly into stride before getting rolling late along the rail. Unfortunately, others rallied to greater effect and she had to settle for 4th place. Having had a shilling or two on her on that occasion, I paid particular attention to how she handled the tricky hillside turf course. To my eyes she struggled, particularly when the field crossed the main track, about a furlong and half from the finish. That crossing often catches out runners at Santa Anita as the jocks are gearing up for the late charge to the wire. Her 2009 campaign didn’t get going until Royal Ascot where she put in an excellent shift to finish 2nd to Scenic Blast in the King’s Stand G1. After that, she put up an even better performance when taking the July Stakes G1. Her next target was intended to be the Nunthorpe G1 but a slight setback put paid to that plan, so it was on to the BetFred Sprint Cup G1. Even though her handler had indicated that she wouldn’t run on soft ground, she did line up on those conditions and, in the circumstances, did well to run Regal Parade to half a length. Last time out, she put up another cracking effort in defeat, overcoming a troubled start to rattle home, failing by just a neck to overhaul Total Gallery in the Prix De L’Abbaye De Longchamp G1. If she were mine (an unlikely contingency), I’d have no hesitation at targeting the Sprint rather than the turf equivalent.

Goldikova (Freddie Head) – Mile

Goldikova is one of four females likely to return to Santa Anita to defend their titles. (Local lasses Zenyatta, Forever Together and Ventura are the others.) After a disappointing seasonal reappearance in the Prix D’Ispahan G1, where she beat just two of her eight rivals, she got her season back on track with a victory in the Falmouth Stakes G1, at the Newmarket July meeting. Returning to France, she added victories in the Prix Rothschild G1 and a stellar score in the Prix Jacques Le Marois G1, where she strolled home by 6 lengths from Aqlaam. Last time out, she was cut back in trip to tackle the Prix De La Foret G1 at Longchamp. Unfortunately, a wide draw did her no favours and she paid for her early exertions to gain a position from her outside post position, when finishing 3rd to Varenar and Sweet Hearth. That defeat hasn’t put punters off and she is a short price to follow up. Last year Freddie Head’s charge showed how thoroughly suited she was to the tight oval, when her dart for the line as the merest hint of a gap opened up provided one of the most abiding impressions of the 2008 meeting.

Mastery (Saeed bin Suroor) – Marathon

The St Leger G1 has delivered a pair of Breeders’ Cup winners recently with the victory of Red Rocks (3rd at York) in 2006 and Conduit (winner at Doncaster, the spiritual home of the oldest classic), last year. Both those colts were successful in the turf but this year’s winner is being aimed at a different target — the Marathon, which will be contested over fourteen furlongs this time around. Mastery has only raced seven times, collecting three wins. He broke his maiden first time out for Mark Johnston at the back end of his first season of action, in a modest maiden at Nottingham in October, one of two juvenile starts. He returned in the Kentucky Derby Trial at Kempton Park, where he was only beaten two necks and head into 4th place. After that he won the downgraded Derby Italiano G2, before finishing in the frame in the Queen’s Vase G3, the Grand Prix De Paris G1 and the Great Voltigeur G2, where he was well beaten by Monitor Closely. However, he turned the tables on that rival in the St Leger, over the extended mile and three quarters on the Town Moor and, after a battle through the final furlong, was comfortably holding his stable companion Kite Wood at the line. He is guaranteed to get the trip and his run on the Polytrack augurs well for him handling the Pro Ride.

Midday (Henry Cecil) – Filly and Mare Turf

Midday is another filly who has a run style that should be ideal for the turf track and the first of a number of contenders owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah, whose Juddmonte Farms operation could have a cracking night, with his charges from both sides of the pond. She started her 2009 season tackling the colts in the Blue Riband Stakes, where she finished 2nd to a decent sort in Debussy. Back with her own gender, she ran out a comfortable winner of the listed Oak Trial, before tackling the real thing. At Epsom she went down by just a head to Sariska, who appeared to get first run. However, when they met again on very soft ground in the Irish Oaks G1, she floundered on the ground, finishing a well beaten 3rd. She got her first top grade score when winning the Nassau Stakes G1 in August, where she beat Rainbow View by 2¼ lengths. Last time out, she was touched off by a nose for the runner up spot in the Prix De L’Opera, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Shalanaya, one of the Aga Khan’s seven winners on Arc weekend. That means her six runs this year have resulted in two wins in each of the trifecta spots. Her trainer is the doyen of his profession over here and for our American readers, the pronunciation is ‘Sessil’ not ‘Seessil’.

Rainbow View (John Gosden) – Filly and Mare Turf / Mile / Ladies Classic

Rainbow View (PA Wire)

George Strawbridge’s filly has three possible targets at the Breeder’s Cup and could be given a chance whichever one her connections select. She headed into her three-year-old career with high expectations, having rounded out a perfect four for four juvenile campaign with a victory in the Fillies Mile G1. The lack of a prep race didn’t put punters off and she went to post as 8-11 favourite for the 1,000 Guineas, but her 5th place finish there was the start of a frustrating run of results. She put up good efforts in four top level events, finishing 4th over a mile and half on the Oaks G1, 3rd in the Coronation Stakes G1, when cutting back to a mile, 4th over the same trip in the Falmouth Stakes G1 and 2nd in the Nassau Stakes G1, when upped to ten furlongs. She eventually got off the mark for the year when successful in the Matron G1, back at a mile. She made the trip to Canada for her next start, in the E. P. Taylor G1. That saw her step up in trip to a mile and quarter again and she made a pretty fist of it, leading early in the home stretch, before getting outlasted by Lahaleeb on the yielding turf. I think she could struggle in the Mile and her owner already has Forever Together to go to war with in the Filly and Mare Turf, so the Ladies Classic may make sense. It appears to me that the nine furlongs trip could be ideal for this lass and, although Zenyatta would be a tough nut to crack, the bold approach has paid dividends in the past.

Rip Van Winkle (Aidan O’Brien) – Classic

There are many similarities between the career of Rip Van Winkle and last year’s Classic winner, Raven’s Pass. Like last year’s winner RVW spent the early part of his three-year-old season not quite living up to the expectations of connections, before getting on track as the season progressed. He finished 4th to Sea The Stars in the 2,000 Guineas G1 and the Derby G1, which were very good efforts but did not put him at the head of the class. However, his performance behind Sea The Stars in the Eclipse G1, where he probably gave John Oxx’s superstar more to do than any other opponent this year, provided a clue that he was developing into the performer his connections believed him to be. After that, a comfortable victory over Delegator in the Sussex Stakes G1 was followed by a hard fought success over the improving Zacinto in the Queen Elizabeth II G1. To my eyes, that battling score was the ideal prep for the Classic but don’t expect the sort of price that Raven’s Pass was available at in 2008. British bookmakers have him pegged at under 2-1, two weeks before the event, and American horseplayers are pretty savvy to the more exposed European raiders these days. However, he is the most likely winner.

Spanish Moon (Sir Michael Stoute) – Turf

At the time of writing, this son of El Prado, another one of Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Breeder’s Cup battalion, shares second favouritism behind stablemate Conduit. He has only raced three times this year, which is as much to do with his temperament, as any other issue. He started his 2009 campaign at the end of March, taking 2nd place in the Dubai Sheema Classic, separating Eastern Anthem and Purple Moon by a pair of noses in a pulsating finish. After getting into one too many altercations with gate crews, he was banned from racing in Britain in May, for a period of six months. That meant a reconsideration of his programme was required which, as it has turned out, could have been a blessing in disguise. His next start came in France, where he beat Alpine Rose and Youmzain in the Grand Prix De Saint Cloud G1 at the end of June. After another ten weeks on the bench, he came back to pick up the Prix Foy G2, where he beat Vision D’Etat into 2nd place. Connections considered tackling Sea The Stars in the Arc G1 but thought better of the idea and decided to make the Turf his next target. He clearly runs well fresh and the eight weeks lay off since his last start may be in his favour again.

Twice Over (Henry Cecil) – Classic

The Prince Khalid Abdulla show continues with this contender from the stable of maestro Henry Cecil. The great trainer’s handling of this lad has been a masterpiece of equine management. Those with good memories will recall that Twice Over beat last year’s Classic winner Raven’s Pass in the Craven G3, at the beginning of their three-year-old season. He started this year with a 3rd placing in the Earl Of Sefton Stakes G3, followed by a half a length 3rd in the Lockinge G1 and a close up 4th in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes G1. He was then pointed at the Eclipse G1, where he was held up in the rear but found little when asked, hanging right and finishing over 17 lengths behind Sea The Stars. His next two starts came in very modest conditions events, where the anticipated confidence restoring victories were duly delivered. Returned to top grade company in the Champion Stakes G1, he picked up his first victory at that level, with a battling success over Mawatheq and Sariska. He is a fascinating contender in the Classic and it would be another feather in the cap of his class trainer if he could collect the big one.

Zacinto (Sir Michael Stoute) – Mile

Zacinto is a typical slow burner of the sort we have come to expect from Sir Michael Stoute’s stable and is another who will go to post in the familiar pink, green and white colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah. This homebred made two juvenile starts, romping home in maiden ranks in early July, before finishing a neck 2nd to Westphalia, who was 2nd in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf afterwards, in the Champagne Stakes G2. This year, his return to action was delayed until the beginning of August when he got home by just a head in a minor contest at Goodwood. At the end of that month he tackled the Celebration Mile G2 at the same track, where he finished 2nd to Delegator, in a race that, in hindsight, wasn’t run to suit this lad. Undeterred, connections entered him in the Queen Elizabeth II G1 where he was sent off as the 18-1 outsider in the four runner field. He put up a cracking performance, making Rip Van Winkle pull out all the stops to prevail by 1½ lengths, with Delegator and Aqlaam behind. That level of form would make him very competitive in the Mile and he looks sure to improve.