Warm Heart (right) repels the challenge of Free Wind
Warm Heart (right) repels the challenge of Free Wind

Breeders' Cup preview: Warm Heart fancied to go well in Turf


Timeform's Billy Nash wouldn't be surprised to see Aidan O'Brien switch Warm Heart to the Breeders' Cup Turf rather than the Fillies & Mares' equivalent at Santa Anita in the autumn.

The master of Ballydoyle was quick to suggest his charge was heading for America after her win in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks at York last week and Nash feels she has the ideal profile to make a major impact at the meeting.

“I don’t follow US racing all that closely but at the weekend there was a Grade One mile-and-a-half race run at Saratoga and it was won by Bolshoi Ballet. He’d have no chance of winning a Group One over that trip this side of the Atlantic so it would suggest to me the turf category in the States isn’t that deep at the moment," he reasoned.

“I think Warm Heart is absolutely crying out for those sort of races. You can put her Irish Oaks run purely down to the ground even though she won her maiden back in spring on heavy going, that was against lesser opposition.

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“Her three wins in the UK since have been on good ground or quicker, I think she needs those conditions, and as I say she’s tailor-made for those races in America where her turn of foot will be a potent weapon.

“The Filly & Mares is an option but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did turn up in the Breeders’ Cup Turf as depending on what’s heading over from Europe, it might not be that deep this year."

Stablemate Savethelastdance was back in third at York and O'Brien said it was between the Leger and Arc for her.

Graham Cunningham struggles to see her making much of an impact in France, though, and said: "I’m reading this dead wrong then – I just don’t think she’s much good. I know she’s a Classic winner and other people disagree but in any top race her lack of an ability to quicken unless she gets deep, deep ground, is going to be be ruthlessly exposed."


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