Timeform highlight some notable performances from the Breeders' Cup last week.
Bacio completes perfect year in style
There was a big field for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, but it wasn’t as competitive as the numbers suggest because of a dominant performance from Bacio (125p from 124p), who had company on the front end until halfway, but he quickly put a seal on the race early in the straight.
He looked like winning by further, at least double the winning margin distance clear entering the final furlong before his stamina began to run out over this extended five furlongs, but he still put up the best performance in the race since 2021, when Golden Pal won in similar style.
Bacio has now confirmed that he’s in a different league to anything in Europe and North America over five furlongs, and he’s reportedly set for a trip to Australia for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in February. He will likely face stronger opposition there, but it will be unlikely if they have anything to lower his colours over 1000m.
He still has quite a bit to find with the world’s leading sprinter Ka Ying Rising (137), but a clash between the pair next year would be something to savour if connections would be will to drop the star six-year-old in trip to 1000m.
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Sun Goddess confirmed herself the best juvenile around
The European horses dominated the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, responsible for the first seven home, with three previous Group 1 winners all making the frame, but it was all about Sun Goddess (remains 120), who produced another dominant display to complete a six-timer.
She didn’t need to improve, but capped off a remarkable juvenile campaign, becoming the first two-year-old to win four Group 1s since the same stable's Johannesburg in 2001, and bringing her prize money for the year to £1.3m.
Sun Goddess has proved herself tactically versatile throughout the season, this time proving that a mile and going round a bend holding no fears. An attractive filly, who is already proven on most types of ground and clearly just as effective at a mile as shorter, it's hard to see any chinks in her armour with a view to the 1000 Guineas next spring, for which she deservedly heads the market.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsBenvenuto Cellini finally put it all together
The Breeders’ Cup Turf is a race which is often dominated by European-trained horses, but rarely quite to the extent of this year’s renewal, with that contingent filling the first seven places.
Benvenuto Cellini (125 from 123) has had somewhat of a topsy turvy season, some excuses more convincing than others at times, but he finally delivered the sort of performance he’d threatened to on several occasions to vindicate the faith of connections, providing Aidan O’Brien with and eight win in the race and Ryan Moore his sixth.
Just like at Longchamp, he was slowly into stride, but was able to recover this time despite not having the clearest of runs, but he showed a smart turn of foot to quicken into the lead once angled out for a run close home.
There's an element of unfinished business about him in the top European Group 1s, the burst of speed he displayed here suggesting he’ll be at least as effective over a mile and a quarter, and there are surely more top-level events to be won with him should connections bring him back in 2027.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsHaffner improved a chunk to record first top-level success
Haffner (116 from 107) took his form to new heights to provide Aidan O’Brien with a ninth winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and he produced one of the better performances in the race by doing so.
He has progressed by the run this season – barring the one time he met ground with ‘soft’ in the description – and this was his best visual performance, helped by getting a lovely tow into the race but still deserving credit for scoring readily from the standard-setter.
Haffner leapfrogged the runner-up in the juvenile standings and his new rating of 116 leaves him on the coattails of stablemate’s Sun Goddess and Darkness Falls.
He has a very likable way of going about his business and there’s no reason why he can’t progress further as a three-year-old, with the physique to train on and he’ll be well worth his place in a Guineas of some sort.
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