Britain’s leading rider has had a miserable time at America’s most prestigious meeting but has the favourite in the Mile
The Breeders’ Cup has not, as yet, been kind to Oisin Murphy, who has had half a dozen rides at the meeting and has yet to finish any higher than sixth. It has been even less forthcoming to 2,000 Guineas winners. There have been agonising near-misses, most memorably when Rock Of Gibraltar came up a stride or two short in 2002, and the desperate end to George Washington’s career when he suffered a fatal injury on the dirt at Monmouth Park but the 2,000 Guineas remains the only English Classic without a winner on the Breeders’ Cup’s roll of honour too.
So both horse and rider will be looking to break unfortunate streaks when Kameko makes the ninth and final start of his career in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Saturday. Andrew Balding’s colt is the likely favourite at around 4-1, a point in front of Chad Brown’s Uni, the winner of the race at Santa Anita 12 months ago, and win or lose, he will be settling into his new life as a stallion, at Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire, by Monday morning.