Being the marketing manager for Irish thoroughbreds would be pretty sweet gig right now.
Following on from a hugely successful Melbourne spring carnival the Irish were to the fore at the Breeders' Cup meeting at Keeneland on Saturday.
While it what was a good day all round for the European shippers, the home side claimed the honours in the days feature the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic.
There have been three different winners of the Triple Crown this year, and Spendthrift Farm's Kentucky Derby-winning Into Mischief colt Authentic put the seal on an Eclipse Award with a dominant front-running display in the Classic.
Ridden by John Velazquez for trainer Bob Baffert, Authentic won by two and a quarter lengths from his stablemate, the 4yo City Zip colt Improbable, with a further length back to the 4yo Curlin colt Global Campaign in third.
Carrying the orange and purple quarters silks of B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm, Authentic was the second winner on the day for Spendthrifts flagship stallion Into Mischief after the favourite Gamine won the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
A son of Harlan's Holiday, Into Mischief, commands a fee of $225,000 and is a lock to be the champion sire this year.
The Europeans began the day with Bearstone Stud's Glass Slippers (GB), a 4yo daughter of former shuttler Dream Ahead (USA), who claimed the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Ridden by Tom Eaves for trainer Kevin Ryan, Glass Slippers defeated the 5yo gelding Wet Your Whistle (Stroll) by a half-length with the same distance back to the 5yo entire Leinster (Majestic Warrior) in third.
The winner of last year's Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, Glass Slippers came within a neck of defending her title this year before making the trip to Keeneland.
French breeders put a score on the board when Pierre-Charles Boudot guided the 4yo Wooten Bassett mare Audarya (FR) to a neck win, in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. She defeated the More Than Ready (USA) mare Rushing Fall by a neck, with the 3yo American Pharoah (USA) filly Harvey's Lil Goil a head back in third
The JamesFanshaw-trained mare won the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville and was third to Tarnawa (Shamardal) in the Prix de l’Opera on October 4.
That form proved significant when Tarnawa (IRE) came out a few races later to provide the legendry trainer Dermot Weld with his first Breeders' Cup success in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf.
With Colin Keane replacing the COVID-19-stricken Christophe Soumillon, the Aga Khan homebred defeated the ever gallant Magical (Galileo) by a length with the local hope Channel Maker (English Channel) a nose back in third.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien may have had to settle for second place there, but he struck back with a one-two-three finish for Coolmore in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile.
The shock winner was Order Of Australia (Australia) who only made the field following the scratching of Fastnet Rock's high-class daughter Master Fencer.
This time it was Pierre-Charles Boudot making Christophe Soumillon feel a little slicker when Order Of Australia (IRE) defeated Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo) by a neck with Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega) three-quarters of a length back in third.
It was a notable result for Order Of Australia's dam Senta’s Dream (Danehill) who was represented by last year’s Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf winner Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World).
Other winners on the card were Knicks Go (Paynter) the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint and Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.
