Four second places from six rides at the Breeders’ Cup led to criticism of
British jockey, most of it unjustified
Finishing fast but too late, there’s a capital crime in the eyes of most punters. So the Breeders’ Cup is a reputational elephant trap for European jockeys, whose mounts rarely break on level terms with the US runners and so immediately find themselves with ground to make up, while the fast surface and tight bends make the task even harder.
The action at Keeneland on Friday and Saturday threw up fresh examples but this is a conversation we’ve been having for decades. Think of Brief Truce, who tracked the pace on his way to winning at Royal Ascot in 1992 but was right out the back in the Breeders’ Cup Mile a few months later before powering home into third behind the US-trained, all-the-way winner, Lure. His frustrated trainer was Dermot Weld, who finally got his first Breeders’ Cup winner with Tarnawa this weekend.