THE National Hunt season will be the primary focus of attention for racing fans in the next few months, but there is an increasing awareness and interest in the top-class international flat racing calendar that takes in Bahrain, Meydan, Saudi, Japan and Hong Kong until the end of March next year.

This international swing began at Keeneland last weekend, with a superb Breeders’ Cup meeting that brought with it four European winners and a heartwarming win for legendary Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

This meeting is the focus of my attention this week, as I look at the best performances over the two days.

The tight left-handed Keeneland turf track had been subject to plenty of rain in the lead up to the meeting, but it was still rated as being firm by the track superintendent and the final times on both days were in alignment with that description.

The turf surface was a bit rough and cut up, particularly on the bends, but this had little impact on the outcome of any races.

The dirt was described as fast and none of the results on that surface contradicted that description.

It was hard to make up ground from off the pace on both surfaces, the reasons for that are more to do with pace and configuration rather than the condition of the surface.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes (Group 1)

THE Breeders’ Cup data delve begins with the Juvenile Sprint on Friday, won by Libertango, ridden by Billy Loughnane, who was a late jockey switch having spent a good deal of time in the sauna to make the weight.

Libertango was well drawn in stall three and was well rated by Billy Loughnane. He did not want to get involved in the swift early pace and raced Libertango in sixth place on the inside whilst running fast but even splits, with the second furlong being the fastest of the race with jockeys looking to get a good position going into the bend. Libertango did not quicken up in the home straight, but she was able to sustain her top speed for longer than the others, as displayed by her sectional times.

Libertango Sectional splits.

F1: 11.72s

F2: 10.34s

F3: 11.44s

F4: 11.49s

F5: 11.43s

F6: 6.22s (This represents the final half-furlong)

There were few excuses in behind the winner, although Moonrise was badly hampered on the bend by Harpers Corner, who was demoted from third place.

This was a well-judged ride from Billy Loughnane, his pace judgement a feature of his riding this year that catapulted him to being the champion jockey.

He was also helped by having a low draw, which enabled him to save ground and, in covering 3,637 metres through the race, he covered 10 metres less than the runner-up Hell Of A Spin, who was inconvenienced by a wide draw in stall 11.

Libertango has had a tremendous season for George Boughey and she will have the Commonwealth Cup as a target next season, having already proved her effectiveness at Ascot in winning the Group 3 Albany Stakes.

Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (Group 1)

THINGS may not have worked out for William Buick, but they did for Ryan Moore on Benvenuto Cellini later on the card, demonstrating yet again that fine margins in top-class sport matter a great deal.

This race was run at a stop/start gallop and consequently plenty of horses were in contention turning for home. Getting a clean run became an issue for Ryan Moore on the winner, who had enjoyed a ground-saving trip around the inside even if he did break a step slowly from the stalls, as he had done in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Benvenuto Cellini eventually got some running room going to the furlong pole and finished the race off very strongly, recording 22.55s for the final quarter mile. He proved in the Irish Derby that he is a strong stayer and here he showcased his speed in impressive fashion.

Pace judgement

Some would say that Ryan Moore had some luck in the closing stages, but he makes his own luck with a cool head and supreme pace judgement and what mattered here was that he didn’t panic when still on the bridle with nowhere to go. Luck plays its part, as Willliam Buick found out to his cost, but judgement rather than luck plays a much more relevant role.

You don’t become the world’s best by trusting to luck all the time and whilst sometimes things don’t work out, as William Buick found to his cost, those losses are few and far between for Ryan Moore.

The winner is a very fluent mover, who was clearly suited to the fast conditions that he encountered here and, with a trip to Hong Kong on the agenda, he may be the horse to get Aidan O’Brien over the line in his quest to beat his own record of 28 Grade 1 winners in a year.

Benvenuto Cellini has always been highly thought of and is beginning to realise his potential and, aside from the Far East later this year, he could be very exciting next season.

John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Group 1)

LIBERTANGO’S Cheveley Park defeat by Sun Goddess received a significant boost with that horse winning later on the card in facile fashion, and there was no easier winner over the two days of the meeting.

This filly is a superstar, and this American romp did not significantly test the full range of her ability. Ryan Moore was aggressive on her out of stall nine to adopt a prominent position, which was a wise move given the way the race unfolded.

The pace was steady and effectively turned into a test of speed in the home straight, with Sun Goddess being the fastest horse in the race in the best position as they swung for home.

She produced a final time of 1m 38.44s, which was 0.88s (five lengths) slower than Haffner in the colts’ equivalent on the card, a race that was run at a much stronger gallop.

The steady pace meant that this race was a test of speed and Sun Goddess quickened well with her final two-furlong splits recorded as 11.12s and 11.61s. This is routine for her, given that she has already run several sub-11.00s furlongs this season.

Whilst this was not a true test of stamina at a mile, there is little doubt that Sun Goddess will stay the 1,000 Guineas and she is the rightful 7/4 favourite for the race, even if there is also the unbeaten Musical Times to factor into that contest.

Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Group 1)

HAFFNER provided Aidan O’Brien with a second winner on Friday night, and it was a different style of victory. If Sun Goddess was all about speed, his performance was more about stamina.

This horse is improving with racing and backed up his success in the Royal Lodge with a clear-cut length-and-three-quarters success. It was a 1-2 for Ireland, with Folsom Blues finishing in second place, having endured a trip that saw him having to swing wide into the home straight - which contributed to him covering 18 more metres than the winner.

This race was strongly run with four of the first five furlongs being run in sub-12.00s splits. Haffner attended the strong pace with Ryan Moore keen to commit him turning for home. Haffner responded by running home evenly with his final two furlongs recorded as being 24.00s, which compares to Sun Goddess who sprinted home in 22.73s.

In winning the Royal Lodge at Newmarket, his fastest furlong was his penultimate, which was recorded by Race IQ as being 11.12s. The strong gallop this time meant that through the same furlong he clocked 11.77s, which is a reflection on the pace of the race rather than anything to do with him.

He was well-suited to the fast gallop and fast ground here and his future will lie over 10 furlongs and maybe further, with the caveat that his two-year-old career highlights that decent ground is important to him.

Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1)

THE best time performance of the meeting, the one that produced the highest Beyer Speed figure (110) was that of Sovereignty in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Sovereignty has not been easy to train. He missed this race last year and the Dubai World Cup this year, but nonetheless has a tremendous CV with five Group 1 wins to his name, including the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He will now retire to stud at a fee of $150,000.

The winning time of 2m 2.31s was produced in what was a typically fast top-class dirt contest. Stable companion Knightsbridge took the field along through solid early fractions, clocking sub-12.00s furlongs for four of the first six furlongs.

Sovereignty tracked that pace, close up in fifth place before making his move three furlongs from home, where he quickened to the front with an impressive surge, which was clocked as being 11.96s between the three- and two-furlong pole. He maintained his speed all the way to the line with a 12.14s final furlong.

Tougher than the rest

Winning on dirt is about early speed and then the ability to be tougher than the rest in the closing stages whilst getting tired and the fact that Sovereignty was able to run hard in the early part of the race and then find a change of gear in the closing three furlongs, is testament to his ability.

What he achieved here is even more creditable given that he had suffered a foot abscess in the build up to the race, which had caused him to develop a quarter crack on one of his hooves. He had to run in specially adapted shoes, and this puts into context what his master trainer Bill Mott had to deal with to get this horse to the track one more time.

There was no more popular winner at the meeting and particularly satisfying for Shiekh Mohammed, who, in the Godolphin colours, won his first Breeders’ Cup Classic with a horse who gave him his first Kentucky Derby as well.

FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF (Grade 1)

THE two rides that have come under the most scrutiny in the aftermath of the meeting were those of William Buick on Notable Speech and Ryan Moore on Benvenuto Cellini and they are both worthy of considered examination away from social media hysteria.

First things first, Notable Speech was the best horse in the Mile and should have won, but winning on a hold-up horse who needs cover in a 13-runner field on a tight-turning left-handed track is not that easy. William Buick is a talented and skilled jockey, who knows this horse inside out, but the way Notable Speech needs riding demands some luck, and he just didn’t get it when he needed it most.

The winner, Deterministic, raced in second place early on through even fractions, with Notable Speech held up in eighth. Deterministic quickened three furlongs out with an 11.88s furlong.

At the same time, Notable Speech was hemmed in and shuffled back, meaning he ran 12.09s through the same furlong. Thereafter, Notable Speech rattled home running the last two furlongs quicker than the winner, but the damage had been done three furlongs out. Their closing three furlongs are detailed below.

Deterministic/Notable Speech

F6: 11.88s / 12.09s

F7: 11.51s / 11.39s

F8: 12.21s / 11.66s

Notable Speech made up four lengths in the final two furlongs, quickening smartly, but he had too much to do and went down by three-quarters of a length.

Turn of foot

I am not inclined to blame William Buick, because Notable Speech has to be ridden patiently so that his turn of foot can be utilised in the final quarter mile. These tactics worked last year at Del Mar where he got a run, they didn’t here, where at a vital stage, as they straightened for home, he was locked in a pocket and, at the same time, the winner quickened and gained an advantage that was unassailable.

His draw in stall seven compared to the winner in stall one meant that he ran 27 metres further and this, along with being stuck in traffic at a crucial point, was decisive.

A very similar thing happened to Notable Speech when he ran in the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland in April, where he should have won but finished a very unlucky fourth, having been consistently hampered in the home straight.

If you backed Notable Speech cognisant of his career record and run style, you knew the deal, you knew that things may not drop ideally for him.

In effect, you were taking a short price that he got a clean run round the Keeneland oval, and he didn’t. It should also be remembered that William Buick guided this horse to every one of his 10 wins.

He will retire to Dalham Hall Stud after a career that saw him win seven Group 1s, an impressive career from a horse defined by his electric turn of foot.

Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (Group 1)

THINGS may not have worked out for William Buick but they did for Ryan Moore on Benvenuto Cellini later on the card, demonstrating yet again that fine margins in top class sport matter a great deal.

This race was run at a stop/start gallop and consequently plenty of horses were in contention turning for home. Getting a clean run became an issue for Ryan Moore on the winner, who had enjoyed a ground saving trip around the inside even if he did break a step slowly from the stalls as he had done in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Benvenuto Cellini eventually got some running room going to the furlong pole and finished the race off very strongly recording 22.55s for the final quarter mile. He proved in the Irish Derby that he is a strong stayer and here he showcased his speed in impressive fashion.

Pace judgement

Some would say that Ryan Moore had some luck in the closing stages, but he makes his own luck with a cool head and supreme pace judgement and what mattered here was that he didn’t panic when still on the bridle with nowhere to go. Luck plays its part as Willliam Buick found out to his cost but judgement rather than luck plays a much more relevant role.

You don’t become the world’s best by trusting to luck all the time and whilst sometimes things don’t work out as William Buick found to his cost, those losses are few and far between for Ryan Moore

The winner is a very fluent mover who was clearly suited to the fast conditions that he encountered here and with a trip to Hong Kong on the agenda, he may be the horse to get Aidan O’Brien over the line in his quest to beat his own record of 28 Grade 1 winners in a year.

Benvenuto Cellini has always been highly thought of and is beginning to realise his potential and aside from the Far East later this year, he could be very exciting next season.