A dream season for Ralph Beckett got even better as Muhannak got the European challenge in Santa Anita off to a brilliant start by winning the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

Beckettt landed his first Classic in June when Look Here won the Oaks, and with his first Breeders' Cup runner he hit the target for an emotional victory.

Ridden confidently by Pat Smullen, he kicked for home early and held off the late challenge of Church Service.

Frankie Dettori's mount Sixties Icon was all the rage in the betting going into the race - the first Breeders' Cup event on an artificial Pro-Ride surface - on the back of three straight wins.

However, as the pace quickened Dettori found himself short of room and the Jeremy Noseda-trained entire could never quite get on terms.

Smullen was always in the perfect position on Muhannak and kicked wide off the turn before hanging on for a head success, with a further three-quarters of a length back to Big Booster in third.

It was the first winner for the European team since 2006 after drawing a blank on a grim day 12 months ago, and it was Smullen's first winner at the Breeders' Cup.

Whitsbury-based Beckett said: "He's a specialist. The reality is he's a Polytrack horse. He's a mile-and-a-half horse and the combination meant whether we won or not, the conditions for him were ideal if he could cope with the travelling.

"With the money on offer and so on we had to come. It's worked out well.

"With all due respect to the Americans, only winning the Derby would be better than winning the Oaks but this comes a very, very good second and it has capped an amazing year - a year which I couldn't have dreamt of."

Owner Richard Pegum is already planning on returning to Santa Anita next year with the gelding.

He said: "It's fair to say our tickets are booked and we're ready to come back."

Smullen said: "I was pretty anxious before the race that there was no pace early and so I just put myself in a position where I could go forward off the back turn and it worked out beautifully.

"When I wanted to make my move off the back turn there were no traffic problems and to be fair to the horse he responded for me all the way down the stretch.

"It's a dream come true for me. To ride a Breeders' Cup winner, I really can't believe it to be honest."

Dettori said: "We went slow and I tried to get him into the race without going nine wide but in the straight he didn't show the turn of foot I was expecting.

"The disappointing thing was that he didn't really finish and the others were going away from me at the end."