Lancaster doomed by slow start

EUROPE narrowly missed out on an early victory at the Breeders’ Cup as Aidan O’Brien-trained Lancaster Bomber was beaten a length and a quarter by Oscar Performance in the Juvenile Turf. The Seamus Heffernan-ridden colt, who had been second to stablemate Churchill in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, made up ground all the way up the home straight but never looked like catching the US-trained winner. Unplaced were O’Brien’s Intelligence Cross and Ryan Moore and Simon Crisford’s Rodaini. Heffernann, who felt his low draw had proved a disadvantage, said: ‘I was drawn one and wasn’t as quick away as the American horses.’