Timeform Weekend Review: Raven's Pass caps a glorious Breeders' Cup for European contingent

General / Timeform / 27 October 2008 / Leave a Comment

Timeform review a huge weekend in racing including action from Santa Anita, Aintree and Doncaster.

It was a weekend when the racing world's eyes were focussed on Santa Anita for the Breeder's Cup, where Europe enjoyed a glorious five-timer on Saturday with Muhannak, Goldikova, Donativum, Conduit and Raven's Pass all scooping major prizes, Raven's Pass becoming the first ever British-trained winner of the Classic when leading home a European one-two, his old nemesis Henrythenavigator taking second.

Closer to home, the final Group 1 of the British Flat season took place at Doncaster in the form of the Racing Post Trophy, a race which has produced three Derby winners already this century. Brian Meehan's Crowded House staked his claims for Classic glory in no uncertain terms, sprinting past the field under Jamie Spencer to beat Royal Lodge winner Jukebox Jury by three-and-a-half lengths. His performance in the race betters that of subsequent Epsom heros High Chaparral, Motivator and Authorized and he is now a general second-favourite for the Derby behind John Oxx's Sea The Stars. In the previous race, Judge 'N Jury continued a remarkable season by winning a sprint handicap from an official mark of 105, 30 lbs higher than when he made his handicap debut in February.

Newbury hosted another pattern contest for juveniles in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes, won by Evasive under Christophe Soumillon. Though only scoring by half a length, Sir Michael Stoute's charge was always on top late on and his jockey was never troubled by the closing Bonnie Charlie. The Berkshire track also played host to the Group 3 St Simon Stakes, where Ask couldn't repeat his Arc form, finishing last behind Buccellati who recorded his third straight win on British soil.

As the curtain starts to come down on the Flat season, National Hunt is beginning to get into full flow, with Aintree staging a high-quality two-day fixture, the feature of which was the Old Roan Chase on Sunday, the first race in the BHA Order of Merit series. It was won by Nigel Twiston-Davies' Knowhere, who battled past the resurgent Exotic Dancer on the run-in to score by a length. Voy Por Ustedes could only manage fourth on his return to the scene of his April triumph over Champion Chaser Master Minded. Champion trainer Paul Nicholls had a mixed time at the meeting, unearthing two exciting novice chasers in Tatenen and Kicks For Free, though his two early Champion Hurdle hopes- Rippling Ring and Pierrot Lunaire- were both beaten behind French Opera and Squadron respectively.

Fortunes for Nicholls were the opposite at Chepstow on Saturday, where Hells' Bay laid down an early marker in the novice hurdle division in the Grade 2 Persian War, whilst Big Fella Thanks - a big hope for the National Hunt Challenge Cup - was beaten into third behind Wichita Lineman in a rather muddling beginner's chase. The feature race of the day was the Silver Trophy, a handicap hurdle in which Irish Legend supplied Michael Murphy with one of the biggest wins of his career, with favourite Theatre Girl reportedly breaking a blood vessel.