Europeans dominate the betting for the Group One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf over a mile at Del Mar, San Diego.
Amusingly, the 5/1 favourite is Mendelssohn for Aidan O’Brien, who you may remember we selected at 50/1 – before he drifted to 80/1 – to win the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last month.
He duly outrun those odds to finish a clear second behind impressive winner US Navy Flag, and the handicapper on these shores rates that the best form in the race.
He’s definitely improving, will love the fast ground and has been given a nice draw in stall one, so it’s hard to find negatives besides his price.
This is a colt who cost $3m as a yearling and is bred in the purple – being a Scatt Daddy and half-brother to leading American dirt horse Beholder – so we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
I like him a lot but, at the prices, I’m struggling to argue his case ahead of Gimcrack winner SANDS OF MALI, who is quoted at 33/1 in places and has received a plum draw in stall three.
Trained by Yorkshire-based Richard Fahey, he looks speedy enough to make the most of his draw by getting to the front and tight on the rail, which will be all-important at Del Mar.
This is a step up in trip but Del Mar isn’t a stayers’ track and his sire got a mile – while his entry here, considering the cost of having runners in the States, obviously suggests he’ll get it too.
He wasn’t stopping in the Gimcrack and hit the line hard, but the big price is mostly down to him bombing next time out at Newmarket in the Middle Park Stakes.
I’ll always forgive a poor run at Newmarket as the dip catches a lot of horses out – particularly those with form on flat tracks like York, where the Gimcrack takes place.
I’m certain he’s overpriced, and the British handicapper agrees as he’s just 1lb behind Mendelssohn at the ratings.
Godolphin’s Masar looks a big threat if he can overcome a wideish draw, as trainer Charlie Appleby rarely sends raiders to the Breeders’ Cup.
If Happily wins earlier on the card it’ll frank his form nicely, so there’s a nice argument to back the two in the double.
This race looks wide open, though, so I am short on reasons to back him as a standout bet at the prices, and similar comments apply to the other raider James Garfield too.
0.75pts each-way Sands Of Mali @33/1, 22:50 Del Mar, Friday (Bet365, 1,2,3, 1/4)
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