Wuheida spearheads British challenge
Three European runners triumph, with the characterful Talismanic starring in the Breeders’ Cup Turf
THE largest team of European runners ever sent to a Breeders’ Cup returned with three winners at the weekend; Mendelssohn for Aidan O’Brien and Ireland, Wuheida for Charlie Appleby and Britain and the strikingly marked Talismanic for Andre Fabre and France.
Wuheida, last year’s Marcel Boussac winner, was confidently expected to run a big race in the Filly and Mare Turf by her trainer Appleby and she duly got William Buick off the mark after 12 attempts in the Breeders’ Cup.
Handy all the way, she was always travelling well and got first run off the last bend. Although many of her rivals were storming home fast and late behind her, they were never going to pass her up the short, one-and-a-half furlong straight.
Ryan Moore’s first ride at Del Mar, on Happily in the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday (3 November), struggled after being slow out of the stalls from a low draw. However, Moore swiftly cottoned on to what was required and gave Mendelssohn, runner-up in the Dewhurst, a stormingly positive ride after that to take the Juvenile Turf.
By Scat Daddy and with very much a dirt pedigree, the big, raw colt may now be trained for next year’s Kentucky Derby. He is ridden out every day, as he was here on the track, by former jump jockey Dean Gallagher and the victory clearly meant as much to him as anyone.
“I was more nervous than I was before riding in a Champion Hurdle,” Gallagher said as he was patted on the back from the Coolmore-Ballydoyle hierarchy. “And, to be honest, I get more of a buzz out of this.”
TALISMANIC TRIUMPHS
THE star horse for Europe was, however, the white-stockinged, white-faced Talismanic. Without a home-trained winner on Arc day, French racing could use a fillip and the colt provided it in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf under a brilliant ride from Mickael Barzalona, making his Breeders’ Cup debut.
After running the race of his life and breaking the track record, the recognisable Talismanic tried to eat the winner’s flower garland. He may be flashy but he has the character and now the record to go carry it off.
With Arrogate disappointing, either because he dislikes Del
Mar or had such a hard race in the Dubai World Cup, the finale in California, the $6m (£4.6m) Classic, was won by Gun Runner. The four-year-old is now expected to follow the dollar signs to the Pegasus Cup in Florida and Dubai in March.