Breeders' Cup SmartPlays: Saturday November 2

That The Fugue has been sent to the Turf this year, as opposed to the Filly & Mare equivalent (19:43), opens up two of our three best bets. The Fugue herself wouldn't have been a backable price had she run in the Filly & Mare Turf, but she is in the Turf (more on which later), while the door has now been left open for Sir Michael Stoute's Dank. This race has probably been the plan since soon after Royal Ascot, when Dank came up short in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes. Since then, she's travelled to Ireland (won a Group 2) and the States, taking the Beverley D at Arlington in fine style back in August. That represented a big form jump for Dank, but there's little reason to doubt she's full value for it and, as such, she brings a high level of form to the table here.

The last back-to-back success of any note in the Juvenile (21:43) came when Sheikh Mohammed landed the 2008 and 2009 renewals with Midshipman (Darley Stables) and Vale of York (Godolphin) respectively. Now his great rivals at Coolmore- Messrs Magnier, Tabor and Smith- could be on for a repeat win of their own. Shanghai Bobby was part-owned by the three man last year, but they've got a full stake in Havana. A costly purchase earlier in the year, Havana won a maiden at Saratoga in August before truly announcing his arrival with success in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont earlier this month. He was more impressive there than winning by a neck suggests, as he'd pressed on far sooner than ideal yet was still able to hold off Honor Code. A flash of the tail does sound a note of caution where Havana is concerned, but at this stage inexperience could also have played its part and, such is his level of form already, it's well worth giving him the benefit of any doubt.

We have admittedly spoiled the surprise here, but SmartPlay number three is The Fugue in the Turf (22:22). She has developed into one of Europe's best middle-distance performers this year, taking her form up a notch when slamming the field in the Yorkshire Oaks and then holding off Prince of Wales and Eclipse winner Al Kazeem in the Irish Champion Stakes. The Fugue's racing style has always appealed as being conducive to US tracks, something she went some way to proving last year despite finishing only third in the Filly & Mare Turf (met with trouble in running). By that fact, acclimatising shouldn't be a problem as she seeks to see off the best of the American turf horses, who are, as usual, a largely inferior bunch.

Timeform Breeders' Cup SmartPlays
All at Santa Anita

Back Dank in the Filly & Mare Turf
Back Havana in the Juvenile
Back The Fugue in the Turf

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