Breeders’ Cup Betting / Timeform / 07 November 2009 / Leave a comment

The boys from Halifax pick out a quartet of the best bets from the four top races at Oak Tree on Saturday night.

"Rip Van Winkle has unquestionably been unlucky to be around in the same year as one of the all-time greats having confirmed himself a high-class performer in his own right."

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Mile
Goldikova's task of gaining back-to-back wins in the Turf Mile has been made trickier having been drawn widest of all in what the locals have dubbed 'the coffin box', but the bookmakers decision to ease her in the betting could turn out to be an over-reaction, and at her current price she's crying out to be backed. The French filly has improved even further this year and her defeat at Longchamp last month can easily be excused, as it not only represented her first try over seven furlongs, but she was scuppered by the draw then also, though more crucially it was at a track she clearly doesn't like, given it's now the scene of four of her five defeats. Her success at Deauville six weeks earlier in the Jacques Le Marois was simply breathtaking and one of the best performances by a filly at a mile in the last 40 years.
The dark horse could turn out to be Zacinto, who makes just his sixth start and has shown marked improvement this year, beaten just a length and a half by the more-experienced Delegator at Goodwood, but turning the tables on that one when finding just Classic favourite Rip Van Winkle too good in the QEII at Ascot. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that Zacinto has even more to offer, and it seems significant that he's been allowed to take his place at a meeting his trainer has such a good record at. Delegator's stable-companion Gladiatorus had been disappointing following his top-class display in the Dubai Duty Free in March, but showed signs of a return to his best when scoring in an admittedly weak Group 1 in Italy last month. He now needs to build on that in a race which is not only much tougher, but also contains several others who like to dictate the pace.


Dirt Mile
A weak renewal, and even though Mastercraftsman runs in this so as to avoid a meeting with his stable-companion Rip Van Winkle in the Classic he still looks one of the European bankers. The high-class performer has four wins to his name at the top level and warmed up for this with an authoritative success on his first start on an artificial surface last month. Mastercraftsman got to a length of Sea The Stars when the pair met at York in August and probably wouldn't even need to run to the form he showed then to prevail here, while an inside draw only sweetens his chances further. Pyro could only finish sixth in this race twelve months ago but unlike then returns to Santa Anita on the back of a win, having improved on his first start for Godolphin to score at Saratoga in September from a subsequent Grade 1-winner. Stable-companion Midshipman is no stranger to the Breeders' Cup having won last year's Juvenile when with Bob Baffert, but has been limited to just one start this year since having suffered a leg injury, coasting home in a weak race at Belmont in September. Bullsbay is another who is short in the betting but needs to find some improvement to figure.

Turf
British runners dominate the betting for the Turf and a memorable 1-2-3 could be on the cards. Last year's winner Conduit has had a relatively light campaign this time around but has shown he's just as good, with a win in the King George at Ascot and a fourth to Sea The Stars in the Arc. Dar Re Mi was just a length behind Conduit at Longchamp that a really good effort on her first start outside races confined to her own sex. Conduit's stable-companion Spanish Moon is another to have had a light year, though that was partly of his own doing having picked up a six-month ban in Britain for refusing at the stalls. Whether his temperament stands the test of an American start has to be weighed up against his ability, though he's undoubtedly a class act and would be a big danger if getting away on terms. Presious Passion is the best of the home-trained contenders and gained his second Grade 1 success of the campaign with another fine display of strong front-running in the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship over a mile and a quarter at this track last month. He's unlikely to have things his own way here. Red Rocks' won this race at Churchill Down three years ago but has only managed third and tenth in the last two runnings.


Classic
With Sea The Stars beginning a new life at stud, the stage looks set for the three-year-old that's had to live in his shadow all season to end 2009 on a high. Rip Van Winkle has unquestionably been unlucky to be around in the same year as one of the all-time greats having confirmed himself a high-class performer in his own right. He has been the subject of another injury scare this week, but is set to take his chance and can prevail against some top-quality rivals from the home team, led by unbeaten mare Zenyatta. Zenyatta's sex allowance puts her within 2 lb of the selection, but this is much tougher company than she usually keeps, not least as it's the first time she's ever taken on the males, while it's her first race over a mile and a quarter also. Rip Van Winkle's biggest danger could come in the shape of North America's highest-rated turf horse in Gio Pointi, a winner of four Grade 1s this season, but perhaps crucially on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface also. Summer Bird continues to go the right way and had Quality Road a length behind when winning last month's Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont. Britain's other runner Twice Over could have place claims if continuing in the same vein of form that's seen him win his last three starts, including the Champion Stakes at Newmarket three weeks ago.

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Tags: Conduit, Goldikova, Mastercraftsman, Rip Van Winkle, Zacinto, Zenyatta