Buick powers into Chicago
CENTURY DREAM heads a strong European raid on the prestigious Arlington Million in the US tonight.
William Buick has travelled to Chicago for the ride on Simon Crisford’s 13-2 shot.
He will be joined by outsider Circus Couture, who is trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, and Aidan O’Brien’s Deauville, who is having his third run in the race.
British horses have a strong record in the Grade One contest since it was first run in 1981 at Arlington Park. There have been five victories, starting with Tolomeo in 1983, and with Mondialiste (2016) the most recent victor.
Century Dream has shown improved form this season and was an excellent third to Beat The Bank in a Group Two race at Ascot last time out, proving he handles fast ground. Conditions in the US are set to be lightning-quick.
Formerly trained in Italy, Circus Couture ran his best race for new connections when third in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.
Chapple-Hyam is not breaking new ground as she saddled Mull Of Killough to finish eighth in the 1m2f race in 2013. She said: “Circus Couture has travelled over great and he’s in the box right next to where they put Mully a few years ago.”
In the Beverly D Stakes, Athena is strongly fancied for O’Brien, while Mark Johnston, with 10 winners in the first nine days of August, sends the tough-as-teak Nyaleti. She looks overpriced at 9-1.
O’Brien also has two of the five Irish runners in the Secretariat Stakes in Hunting Horn and Lucius Tiberius. The others are Bandua (Dermot Weld), Ming (Joseph O’Brien) and Platinum Warrior (Mick Halford).