Candy star 'still improving' ahead of stellar Mile showdown

Limato rocketed out the stalls in a gate trial on Thursday and is looking bigger and stronger than ever before, trainer Henry Candy said of Britain's leading Breeders' Cup hope after arriving to supervise the final touches of the Mile contender's preparation.

The Prix de la Foret winner, a general 7-2 for Saturday's race, faces a tough task stepping up to a mile against the likes of Queen Anne winner Tepin, but Candy, making his first professional visit to America, couldn't be happier with the four-year-old.

He said: "I've never had anything suitable for the Breeders' Cup before, he's probably the best I've ever trained and that's what you need out here. He's very quick. I'm very happy with the way he is.

"He's growing all the time. It sounds stupid to say but when I looked at him this morning, not having seen him for a week, he looks bigger again.

"He's a very late developer. At two and three he was a midget, and how he did what he did I don't know, but now he's a proper-looking individual who doesn't look out of place here at last, so I think he's still improving."

The David O'Meara-trained Turf Sprint hope Suedois was unfortunately taken off the track in a medical van on Thursday, having sustained a stress fracture in his near-fore foot and will miss Saturday's race. Connections hope he will race on next year.