'Twelve's my lucky number!' - Fahey upbeat despite wide Breeders' Cup draws

Richard Fahey's hopes of a first Breeders' Cup success met with an apparent setback at the post position draw on Monday night, when both his runners at Keeneland this weekend were given stall 12.

The Platinum Queen remains favourite for the Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday but William Hill pushed her out to 7-2 from 9-4 after she was drawn widest of all in the contest over 5½f.

Fahey also runs Midnight Mile, recent winner of the Oh So Sharp Stakes, in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. She at least has a couple of runners on her outside in the 14-runner contest, for which Hill's and Bet365 pushed her out to 10-1.

The Yorkshire-based trainer made light of the news, responding to a query by saying: "Twelve's my lucky number!

"We are where we are," he added. "If it keeps raining, it might not be too bad being wide."

Local officials expect no further rain but a wide draw was far from disastrous when the Breeders' Cup was staged (on good ground) here at Keeneland in 2020, including in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, won by Golden Pal from stall 13. Audarya won the Filly & Mare Turf from 11, while Order Of Australia's Mile success was achieved from stall 14.

That may be a consoling thought for Frankie Dettori, three of whose four mounts on Saturday have been drawn in double-figures. They include Kinross, who will start from 13 in the Mile, and Mishriff, drawn 11 in the Turf.

Kinross: will have to contend with stall 13 in the MileCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Other British and Irish raiders weregranted handier positions near the inside rail. Creative Force, Flotus and Emaraaty Ana will fill the innermost three stalls in the Turf Sprint, while Go Bears Go and Highfield Princess are also drawn inside Golden Pal in eight.

The draw was kind, at least according to conventional thinking, to Nashwa in the Filly & Mare Turf, Dreamloper in the Mile and Stone Age in the Turf, all set to start from stall three.

Stalls position seems most unlikely to affect the outcome of the eight-runner Classic but connections of the hot favourite, Flightline, nonetheless expressed themselves satisfied with his draw in four.

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