RACING

Ryan McElligott

A stellar effort from Found was by some distance the pick of the efforts from the European raiding party at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland, Kentucky, last Saturday and earns her pride of place this week.

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The Breeders’ Cup was a fine meeting for Aidan O’Brien, who also struck with Hit It A Bomb. However, centre stage most go to Found for her heroics in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

After taking second in the English and Irish Champion Stakes along with enjoying no luck whatsoever in the Arc, the Galileo filly turned up in the form of her life to account for this year’s star three-year-old, Golden Horn. A tremendous talent at two, Found has put together a host of honourable efforts this season and she more than deserved this big-race triumph.

The previous evening, Hit It A Bomb produced an extraordinary effort to claim the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. This hitherto unbeaten son of War Front, who only made his racecourse debut in late September, looked to face an impossible task from last place with over a quarter of a mile to run, but he scythed through the pack in the straight. He surely must rank as one of his trainer’s best classic prospects for 2016.

O’Brien then had further cause for cheer on Sunday as Johannes Vermeer captured the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. This represented a fine effort on the part of the Killarney maiden winner who was running just eight days after taking second in the Racing Post Trophy.

Elsewhere at Keeneland, hopes were high that Legatissimo would be able to end her season with a fourth top-flight win. However, hard as she tried, she had to settle for second in the Filly and Mare Turf. It would have been fitting had this filly been able to end a stunning season on a high but she still ran with credit and honour and, like Found, she will be back for more next year. Indeed, a clash between Legatissimo and Found at some point next summer would be one to savour.

Of the other beaten runners, the career of the dual Guineas winner Gleneagles drew to a very muted close as he trailed home last in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

This effort was in marked contrast to the display posted by the Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, who made all the running in that race to head into retirement as one of the all-time greats of American racing.

On the domestic front, all eyes were on Down Royal last weekend for the JNwine.com Champion Chase where Don Cossack cruised to a fifth Grade 1 triumph. Sadly this very well endowed prize attracted a paltry turnout of just four runners and Don Cossack took full advantage of a very easy assignment.