Weekly Review of Breeders' Cup World Championships.
The 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 37th edition of the premier event on the North American thoroughbred horse racing calendar. Of the fourteen races all but one was a Grade One contest. The championship meeting took place last Friday and Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.
Leading French jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot rode a double with French horses and importantly French race form being well to the fore across both days.
Friday's fixture included the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (1600m) for two-year olds. The Frédéric Rossi trained Sealiway, winner of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere 1400m, received a rough passage in the early stages. Jockey Mickaël Barzalona manged to steer the two-year-old well and make good progress down the home straight to claim fifth behind Fire At Will.
This year's winner of the G1 Prix Morny (1200m) at Deauville in August, Campanelle showed up well to finish fourth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (1600m) for two-year olds. Aunt Pearl was the eventual winner.
On Saturday, the 2019 G1 Prix De L'Abbaye (1000m) winner who also finished second in this years' renewal, Glass Slippers, went one place better after the Longchamp effort four weeks ago to take the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (1000m). He squeezed through and powered on for a narrow success for UK team of jockey Tom Eaves and trainer Kevin Ryan.
French form continued to produce winners when Audarya won the G1 Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mares Turf (1800m). This was the first of a memorable double for Frances' leading jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot who teamed up with British trainer James Fanshawe to take G1 glory with this four-year-old daughter of Coolmore Stud's recently acquired Wootton Bassett. This was her second victory at the highest level after scoring in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet (2000m) at Deauville in August. This performance followed a third in the G1 Prix De L'Opera Longines (2000m) at Longchamp on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day in October.
This race received a further form boost when Tarnawa gained a fourth consecutive victory in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf (2400m) after success in the G1 Prix Vermeille (2400m) at Longchamp in September which was followed up with a win in the G1 Prix de L'Opera (2000m) at the same Paris track in October. For trainer Dermot Weld this was his first Breeders' Cup success. Under jockey Colin Keane the four-year-old daughter of Shamardal came six horses wide into the home straight but had great finishing speed to mow down rivals for a runaway triumph. She is the only winner out of the dual Listed winning Cape Cross mare Tarana. This was her third successive Group One victory.
Pierre-Charles Boudot achieved his second 2020 Breeders' Cup success in the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile (1600m). He was aboard the surprise winner Order Of Australia for trainer Aidan O'Brien (who trained the first three home with Circus Maximus second and Lope Y Fernandez third.) The three-year-old son of Australia was prominent and close to the pace throughout and was able to secure a clear run down the home straight.
