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Grand National festival

Aidan O'Brien looking to lay Mile ghost to rest with Circus Maximus

Circus Maximus canters at Santa Anita on Thursday morning
Circus Maximus canters at Santa Anita on Thursday morningCredit: Edward Whitaker

Breeders' Cup Mile (Grade 1) | 3yo+ | 1m Turf | Sky

Aidan O'Brien's dozen Breeders' Cup winners don't include a victory in the Mile but Circus Maximus could be poised to right that wrong under Ryan Moore.

Ironically, it is the only race at the meeting any other Irish trainer has won, Vincent O'Brien and John Oxx mastering it in 1990 and 1995 with Royal Academy and Ridgewood Pearl.

It was also the race in which O'Brien suffered one of his most galling defeats, Rock Of Gibraltar failing narrowly to reel in the Niarchos family's Domedriver at Arlington Park in 2002 after coming from the clouds.

Circus Maximus, drawn in stall nine, sports the distinctive Niarchos silks this time, so it would be a fitting way for O'Brien to conquer the race.

After running commendably in the Derby, the Galileo colt reverted to a mile for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, winning with a little more authority from King Of Comedy than the neck margin suggests.

He found Too Darn Hot a little too hot in the Sussex Stakes before failing to excel over 1m2f behind Japan in the Juddmonte International. Back to this trip in the Moulin, he duly regained the winning thread, albeit in controversial manner after veering across the track, taking the nose runner-up Romanised with him.

A third Group 1 triumph could see him finish the season as the leading three-old in the world at this distance.

"When we switched him back in trip he came alive," O'Brien said. "He is lazy at home and doesn’t show an awful lot but he is much quicker when you run him.

"He is drawn out a little bit and he has handled fast ground when we have run him on it. We're very happy with him but he has had a busy season."

Fillies spearhead home defence

The market suggests there is little to choose between the two American fillies Got Stormy and Uni. Got Stormy tends to run consistently well at this level, just failing to hold on when denied by El Tormenta in the Woodbine Mile in September.

"I thought her Woodbine Mile was good," said trainer Mark Casse, who has won two of the last four Mile renewals.

"She's a true miler. She can get a little farther if the turf is really hard, but the turf had some give to it and a mile turf race at Woodbine is not like a mile anywhere else.

"One of her strong suits is her ability to quicken and it's not as effective on that long stretch. She will be much more effective at Santa Anita.

Chad Brown: trains Backyard Heaven
Chad Brown: saddles Uni and 2018 St James's Palace winner Without ParoleCredit: Keeneland Photo

Uni, who represents the potent Chad Brown-Joel Rosario axis, was a few lengths behind Got Stormy when third in the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga in August, when she was conceding 2lb.

She likes to come from behind and subsequently won a second mile Grade 1 confined to fillies and mares when taking the First Lady Stakes at Keeneland, although the Filly and Mare Turf was being considered

“With her running style, I’m not sure it would be a good idea,” said Brown, who will also saddle the 2018 St James's Palace Stakes winner Without Parole.

“At a mile, I think she’s better, especially with pace in front of her.”

British runners have something to find

David O'Meara's first Breeders' Cup runner Mondialiste ran a blinder to be second in this to Casse's Tepin in 2015. O'Meara is represented by Lord Glitters this time after Suedois was scratched.

Lord Glitters landed a famous Queen Anne success in the summer but hasn't built on that since.

Like O'Meara, Richard Fahey has sent Space Traveller over from a Yorkshire base. When getting up late in the Group 3 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown, Space Traveller had Suedois back in fourth. The Jersey Stakes winner might still be on the upgrade.

"It's nice to be drawn low," Fahey said of Danny Tudhope's mount. "He needs to find eight or nine pounds but the fast ground will really suit him. He's in great form."

Billy Lee, who rode Space Traveller at Leopardstown, is on Ken Condon's new acquisition Trais Fluors, acquired for €370,000 by Robert Ng at Arqana a month ago.

"We're just getting to know him but he seems to have travelled over well," Condon said of his first Stateside runner. "He looks a tough, consistent horse and looks very solid."


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Ireland editor

Published on inGrand National festival

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