RACING is at its most exhilarating when the best meet the best – and that’s why the Breeders’ Cup is still the ultimate smash up on the world stage.
Huge meetings have sprung up around the globe in Dubai, in Saudi, in Qatar and in Bahrain and, of course, there are massive races around the world in Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Will Sir Michael send Desert Crown to the Breeders’ Cup Turf later this year?Getty
That’s not forgetting the UK, which has Champions Day at Ascot, or Ireland while there is the Arc de Triomphe weekend in France.
But however much those fixtures try and gloss themselves up, the Breeders’ Cup still shines like a bright beacon.
We saw that in magical evidence at Newbury on Saturday.
There was the marvellous Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, and Breeders Cup Mile hero in Modern Games taking the Group 1 Lockinge.
And on the same card the Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Yibir was back in action.
Now it didn’t go quite as well as you would have hoped for Yibir, as he did his thing in finishing a far from breathtaking fourth behind Haskoy on the Group 3 at the Berkshire track.
But before Yibir no doubt heads back to America for the latest Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, he might well have taken in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
That target has to be confirmed, but I notice Yibir is in the entries for the ultimate staying prize, and it would be typical of trainer Charlie Appleby to do something a bit different and go for gold.
Appleby has turned into an absolute belter of a trainer and deserves to be considered, indeed he is, the world’s number one handler.
As we await the return this season of the brilliant 2022 Derby winner Desert Crown, already there is talk of the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt heading for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
And of course the legendary jockey Frankie Dettori will hang up his boots after Breeders’ Cup 2023.
Although I still have my doubts about that!
The dream now is that more horses from Japan, who have already started to target the fixture, Hong Kong, and Australia head to the Breeders’ Cup.
Quite simply it’s the ultimate in world horseracing and winning there should be seen as stallion-making kudos.