eagle ready to soar in turf

Eagle Mountain is perhaps a stand-out among the foreign raiders for the Breeders' Cup in as much as he has retained his summer coat and has a real presence about him as he limbers up for Saturday's Turf.

Last year's Epsom Derby runner-up will be Mike De Kock's first Breeders' Cup runner and also a first runner at Santa Anita when he takes on the best middle-distance horses America and Europe have to offer under Kevin Shea in the mile-and-a-half Turf.

In his favour, he will strip a fresh horse after just one outing for South Africa's multiple champion trainer. That came in record time over a mile in the Joel Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the month.

There was a hint of confidence in his demeanour as De Kock described this morning's exercise for his challenger who exercised on the turf track.

De Kock said: "He had a short breeze over four furlongs and is in very good form. He shipped incredibly well and has done well since his arrival, he's loving it with the sun on his back and seems to have as good a constitution as his trainer."

Eagle Mountain will break from the 11 stall which is on the wide outside but that does not worry De Kock, who added: "It could easily have been 11 out of 20 if the race had been somewhere else and I'm quite happy to be there as he's a horse with a lot of gate speed, so it will be up to Kevin's judgment to get him out and find a nice position.

"In fact looking at the configuration of the course I'd rather be outside of horses than inside."

De Kock said he was enamoured with the atmosphere at Santa Anita with Breeders' Cup day just 48 hours off and he continued: "It's an unbelievable atmosphere that is super to see and I'm enjoying every moment."

De Kock feels the going will not faze Eagle Mountain and added that his colt lost minimal weight on his journey here from Newmarket.

He went on: "Last time the ground was quick and it didn't worry him. He's tightened up a bit and only lost two-and-a-half kilos on the journey out which is nothing.

"The benefit of having a base in England is that we can target the best races in the world and if he comes out of this satisfactorily he'll go to Hong Kong and then on to Dubai with a view to running in the Sheema Classic.

"He's a horse with fresh legs for Saturday and he's a great doer. He's the sort of horse who gets his head in the manger and eats every oat plus the fact that when he gets on to the track he's a street fighter who never gives in."