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Magical set for Breeders' Cup showdown with home favourite Sistercharlie

Magical: The Qipco British Champion Stakes winner is set to contest the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Magical: Champion Stakes winner is set for the Breeders' CupCredit: Getty Images

Magical and defending champion Sistercharlie are set for a spine-tingling Santa Anita showdown in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Saturday week after Aidan O'Brien confirmed his Champion Stakes heroine would be sticking to her own sex in the States.

It was perhaps expected that Magical would attempt to go one better in the Breeders' Cup Turf given that her nemesis Enable will not be there to defend her crown, but O'Brien has pencilled in Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck for that contest, leaving his four-time Group 1-winning wondermare to tackle the Filly & Mare instead.

Magical is now 7-4 favourite with most firms for the race, with Sistercharlie pushed out to 2-1, although Paddy Power have kept the American winning machine at the top of their market at 7-4 with her Irish challenger 9-4.

"Magical will be entered in the Turf, along with Anthony Van Dyck, but she is more likely to run in the Filly & Mare in which Fleeting, who didn't have the clearest of runs at Ascot on Saturday, is also an intended runner," said the trainer.

O'Brien is still searching for a first win in the Filly & Mare Turf, having gone close when Rhododendron finished runner-up to Wuheida in 2017.

Aidan O'Brien: has his eyes fixed on a 19th Beresford Stakes success
Aidan O'Brien: finalising his team for Santa AnitaCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Sistercharlie, who is trained by Chad Brown, has won ten of her 14 starts and has finished out of the first two only once. She swooped late to beat Wild Illusion in last year's race and has won all three outings in 2019.

Anthony Van Dyck will be handed the baton for the Turf, a race O'Brien has won six times including with back-to-back winner High Chaparral in 2002 and 2003, and he was immediately shortened into favouritism across the board. The white-faced three-year-old is as short as 7-4 with Paddy Power, but there 11-4 is still available with bet365.

O'Brien is finalising his teamsheet for Santa Anita and has confirmed that Circus Maximus, the St James's Palace Stakes and Prix du Moulin winner, will try to give him a first success in the Mile. He is now favourite, priced between 100-30 and 4-1.

"Circus Maximus is an intended runner in the Mile. We've been happy with him since his win at Longchamp," O'Brien said.

Arizona and Wichita, second and third respectively behind Pinatubo in the Dewhurst Stakes, and Royal Lodge Stakes winner Royal Dornoch, are under consideration for the Juvenile Turf with Curragh Listed winner Tango pencilled in for the Juvenile Fillies.

Fairyland, winner of the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh last month, is being aimed at the Sprint.


Aidan O'Brien Breeders' Cup record (2016-2018)

Classic
2018 (Churchill Downs): Mendelssohn (5th)
2017 (Del Mar): Churchill (7th)

Turf
2018: Magical (2nd), Hunting Horn (8th)
2017: Highland Reel (3rd), Seventh Heaven (5th), Cliffs Of Moher (8th)
2016 (Santa Anita):Highland Reel (WON), Found (3rd),

Mile
2018: Clemmie (6th), Happily (8th), I Can Fly (12th)
2017: Lancaster Bomber (2nd), Roly Poly (11th)
2016: Cougar Mountain (8th), Hit It A Bomb (9th), Alice Springs (10th)

Filly & Mare Turf
2018: Magic Wand (4th), Athena (5th)
2017: Rhododendron (2nd)
2016: Seventh Heaven (4th), Pretty Perfect (13th)

Turf Sprint
2018: Lost Treasure (7th)
2016: Washington DC (7th)

Juvenile Turf Sprint
2018: So Perfect (3rd), Sergei Prokofiev (8th)
2017: Declarationofpeace (WON)

Juvenile
2018: U S Navy Flag (10th)

Juvenile Fillies Turf
2018: Just Wonderful (4th)
2017: September (3rd), Happily (14th)
2016: Roly Poly (9th), Hydrangea (14th)

Juvenile Turf
2018: Anthony Van Dyck (9th)
2017: Mendelssohn (WON)
2016: Lancaster Bomber (2nd), Intelligence Cross (9th)


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Tony O'HehirRacing Post Reporter

Published on 22 October 2019inNews

Last updated 20:08, 22 October 2019

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