IT seems typical of the year of coronavirus disruption and discord that two of the big occasions in the racing world are staged in perfect conditions.

Both the Melbourne Cup and the Breeders’ Cup have often suffered from poor weather but not this year. The sun shone on Twilight Payment in an empty Flemington and Keeneland is also enjoying warm temperatures this weekend.

Despite the disruption to the flat season, Keeneland’s Breeders’ Cup hosts a proper night of stars this evening with some terrific contests up for decision and good prospects of some Irish wins.

In Tarnawa, Magical and Mogul in the Turf, and Siskin in the Mile, granted some luck in running, they look better than the home team of turf horses.

It all begins with a bang with some terrifically fast fillies in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Gamine put up one of the performances of the year on the Belmont Stakes card when winning the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes over seven furlongs by 19 lengths. She was a bit flat in the Kentucky Oaks but has had plenty of time to get over that September 4th outing.

Serengeti Empress is fast and tough and had a terrific battle with Bell’s The One in a Churchill Grade 1 last time. Ease yourself into the evening and just watch these fillies fly.

It’ll be fascinating to see how Glass Slippers gets on in the Turf Sprint but this is not a betting heat and could see a surprise winner. Australian mare Oleksandra is interesting.

In the Dirt Mile, Complexity is the worthy favourite but Art Collector didn’t get involved in the Preakness. Now back at Keeneland, where he ran past Swiss Skydiver in the Blue Grass, he could be worth another chance.

There is no dominant turf female in the US with Sistercharlie looking a stride slower than she was last season. The Filly and Mare is wide open and Peaceful and Cayenne Pepper have good prospects. Peaceful flopped in the Sun Chariot but Cayenne Pepper seems to be improving.

Audarya’s French form and her third placing in the Prix de l’Opera puts her in the mix at decent odds.

Fascinating Mile

The Sprint is another ‘watch them run’ interval which leads to a fascinating Mile featuring the English and Irish 2000 Guineas winners, now over a turning mile on another continent.

Kameko’s 2000 Guineas win over Wichita and Pinatubo was from the top drawer but this is different – his best form has been over a straight mile and his action looks more that of a horse who lengthens his stride rather than one who can pick up and quicken which he will need to do here. He will need a clear run from stall three.

Siskin showed that quickening attribute at the Curragh when he got daylight. The one concern is his draw in two. He has become upset at the stalls and these are new surroundings. He must behave if loaded early.

At the odds, I’d much prefer Siskin but Safe Voyage is no forlorn hope either.

The Distaff is a race to savour with Monomoy Girl taking on the three-year-old Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver.

It’s Swiss Skydiver’s ninth run of the season but she was as good as ever in Pimlico, holding off Authentic for the length of the straight. It will be no cakewalk for Monomoy Girl who has not faced this level of opposition in her three runs this season. Two chesnut filles going head to head - I’m cheering for Swiss.

The Turf looks bound for Europe but who takes the prize home? Tarnawa seems to have been trained for an autumn campaign and has impressed on her two French wins. She will take all the beating.

Boudot’s ride on Mogul - a horse who Aidan O’Brien has said needs to be ridden for speed - from a wide draw will be intriguing as will what Ryan Moore does on Magical. She didn’t get the clearest of runs in the British Champions Stakes and had seemed more motivated when going toe-to-toe with Ghayyiath in Leopardstown.

The US turf runners are a poor bunch but there is likely to be the usual slow pace, to which one of the Europeans will surely react. An on-song Magical could surely make all here with Tarnawa the one to try to run her down.

Classic duel

And as the dusk falls, comes the Classic, and a proper classic at that. Often the top three-year-olds are missing from this race but here we have the two outstanding colts of the classic season in Authentic and Tiz The Law.

And against them the two top older horses Improbable and Maximum Security – both in the Baffert barn. The draw has made it even more intriguing with the three Baffert runners on the outside of the 10-horse field.

There are grounds for thinking that Tiz The Law does not like to be crowded so he will likely move forward from stall two. But Authentic has been on the pace as has Maximum Security in most of their races.

Tiz The Law missed the Preakness following his Kentucky Derby defeat and will be the freshest. His Travers win was one of the highlights of the season and here’s hoping the white face comes home first again. All in all, it’s a great end to the flat season.