harty wary of european threat

Exiled Irish trainer Eoin Harty has warned Curlin backers not to discount the European challenge in Saturday night's Breeders' Cup Classic.

Dubai World Cup winner and 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin will go off a short-priced favourite at Santa Anita this weekend in the main event at the 25th Breeders' Cup as the four-year-old bids to defend the crown he won stylishly in the slop at Monmouth Park 12 months ago.

Beaten only once since, and that on the turf at Belmont Park in New York in July, Curlin already looks to have won over American tipsters and punters.

Yet Dubliner Harty has urged caution against considering the Classic a one-horse race, pointing not just to his own challenger Colonel John but to Aidan O'Brien's Henrythenavigator and Duke of Marmalade, as well as John Gosden's Raven's Pass.

Far from being handicapped by making their debuts on the new Pro-Ride synthetic surface at his home track, the European trio will be a threat on it at Santa Anita.

"Without doubt it's a contentious group of horses," Harty said. "The European group is by far the best European group we've seen in the Classic to date and I think racing on the synthetic surface they have to be respected.

"They've run against each other all year. They haven't dodged each other and I think their form is solid.

"With the exception of Curlin they're definitely the horses to be reckoned with."

Harty, 45, is a former assistant to Bob Baffert, whose father Eddie Harty won the Aintree Grand National in 1969 aboard Highland Wedding, and brother Eddie Harty Jr saddled Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Captain Cee Bee at Cheltenham in March.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Eoin Harty had been fancied to score an even bigger success after Colonel John went off second favourite in the Kentucky Derby, only to finish sixth behind the now-retired Big Brown.

The Classic represents another shot at glory although the task has been made all the more difficult by being drawn out wide in the 11 post.

Harty went on: "It's not ideal, although there's a pretty good run at the first turn but I can't imagine it's going to be a blazing track. He's going to want to be sitting in the middle of it going into that. He's well capable.

"I truly believe in my horse, I think he'll run very well but he'll stay in training and I think he'll be a better horse next year."

Harty, who also saddles former Clive Brittain charge Well Armed in the Mile, has been pleased with the way Colonel John has recovered from the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 23, which he won in a close finish to augment his earlier Grade One victory in the Santa Anita Derby in March.

He added: "He's done very well. Early on in his career it used to take him a while to bounce out of his races but he's matured over the course of the summer and he bounced out of the race very well. He didn't lose any weight and he's been very aggressive in his workouts ever since."

Johnny Murtagh, meanwhile, is confident Duke of Marmalade can realise his dream of a Breeders' Cup Classic victory.

Murtagh has opted to ride the five-time Group One winner over Ballydoyle stablemate Henrythenavigator.

"I've been very lucky and won a lot of good races in Europe, but to come to America and win the Classic, for a European jockey that would be special," Murtagh said.

"It's one of the races that if you could have it on your CV that would be the race.

"Down through the years, I've always dreamt about winning the Classic, so hopefully this is the year."

That Henrythenavigator has yet to compete over a mile influenced Murtagh's decision to ride Duke Of Marmalade.

"The two horses are doing really well, but probably the reason is the Duke has been over the trip before," he added.

"He's very tough and I think that's what you need out here. Henry has so much speed, there's just a doubt about whether he'll get that extra two furlongs or not.

"I'm riding (Duke of Marmalade) because he's guaranteed of getting the trip and it might come into a slog up the straight.

"It's nice to come over here and race against the best horses in the world - I'm sure the best horse in the world will come out.

"If he (Duke Of Marmalade) hooks up with Curlin at the top of the stretch, I think it will be a battle royal."

O'Brien added: "We're very happy that Johnny's going to ride Duke.

"Duke is a tough, hardy horse and so is Henry - but it might be easier for Johnny Velazquez to get to know Henry than Duke.

"Johnny's won five Group Ones on him - every one of them big ones - so it would have been very hard to desert him.

"We're delighted."