BAYERN (41) broke the course record when running away with the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx last Saturday.

He was allowed to coast through most of the race at an ordinary pace and had plenty left to blast clear up the straight.

If you look at Bayern you’ll see he’s muscular and has a rather short neck. This is the kind of physique you’d normally associate with a sprinter. Indeed Bayern’s first big win came when he was cut back to seven furlongs to take a Grade 2.

He clearly failed to stay nine and a half furlongs in the Preakness and 10 furlongs in the Travers. However, he showed here, and when winning the Haskell, that he can last nine furlongs if allowed his own way up front at a moderate pace.

Fast as he can be over nine furlongs, I think the idea of aiming Bayern at the Breeders’ Cup Classic over 10 furlongs is not a good one.

The big field and huge prize money guarantee a furious early gallop in that contest, as does the presence of front-running Moreno.

I don’t think there’s any realistic chance of Bayern lasting the distance. The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile would be a much better option.

California Chrome (34) was favourite despite a 10-week break since his failure to complete the Triple Crown.

He raced in third and was pretty much boxed in all the way as the winner was allowed to cruise away in an uncontested lead.

When he got running room in the straight he failed to respond and was given an easy time in the last furlong.

Earlier California Chrome had won six in a row, culminating with his wins in the Derby and Preakness. He’s unbeaten in three tries beyond a mile around Santa Anita where the Breeders’ Cup Classic is to be run.

This was a perfectly decent comeback run by California Chrome. His trainer said he wasn’t fully fit, the pace was against him and he wasn’t subjected to a hard race. I’d say he’s a far more likely winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic than the winner.

A total of 26 US classic winners have run in that race at three and won it four times. So, statistically at any rate, his ante-post odds of 8/1 represent value.