BY the time this paper hits the shelves on Saturday morning, there’s every chance that Aidan O’Brien will have already become the outright most successful trainer in Breeders’ Cup history.

An ace team of two-year-olds on Friday’s card give the Ballydoyle maestro leading claims of adding to his tally of 20 winners at the meeting - a record he shares with the late D Wayne Lukas entering this year’s World Championships.

If he is still waiting to get off the mark for 2025 come Saturday night, however, what a class act he has to call on in the shape of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Minnie Hauk - one of three runners on day two for the Co Tipperary team.

With seven wins, the Breeders’ Cup Turf (9.41) has been O’Brien’s joint-most successful race to target at the meeting and he believes the three-year-old filly is well equipped for the demands of a mile and a half around Del Mar.

Speaking at the track this week, O’Brien said: “Minnie Hauk has been very well since the Arc. We always felt that a quick mile and a half around bends shouldn’t be a problem for her. This is where the lads would always love to be with her, if she was well come the end of the season. She lost a bit of weight travelling over here but seems in good form.

“We always felt here could suit her. She’s pacey and all the things look like they could fall for her. I think she’s got a good draw too [in stall eight].

“We thought she was going to upgrade when she ran against older horses in a stronger tempo race, and we think that’s what she did in the Arc. She got beat but it was a very good run.

“In all her races, when she gets to the front she tends to wait and never win by far. You could see that at the Curragh in the Irish Oaks; you wouldn’t want to get there too soon on her.”

‘Powerhouse’ rival

On main market rival Rebel’s Romance, who bids for an unprecedented third straight win in the race, O’Brien added: “He’s a great horse and Charlie [Appleby] has done a brilliant job with him. He’s a big powerhouse of a horse, quick around bends, very classy.

“We don’t take him for granted for one minute - we know he’s a very good horse. It’s good in all these races to have all the big horses turn up. It makes it competitive and good competition is what we all want.”

There is also Irish involvement in the Turf through Willie Mullins’ Ethical Diamond - coming here on the back of a career-best at York. Ireland’s new champion jockey, Dylan Browne McMonagle, rides him for the first time.

“He’s come out of the Ebor very well - I’ve been very happy with him over the last few weeks,” said Mullins.

“The Breeders’ Cup Turf might suit him. He’s had a few setbacks through his career, and he’s just come right now. All he has done is kept on improving and we’ve figured out how best to ride him, too.”

Bedtime Story has an each-way chance for Ballydoyle, according to layers, in the concluding Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (12.25), but there is more market positivity surrounding The Lion In Winter in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (11.05) after a cracking second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day.

Winter is coming

Wouldn’t this be the perfect moment for him to notch a first win since last year’s Acomb Stakes?

“He’s progressed really well,” O’Brien said of the one-time Derby favourite, whose season is now back on track.

“We went to the Dante just to get a run into him for the Derby. We learned nothing other than he could run at Epsom. When we went to the Derby, it was very clearcut that he was a miler. We made a quick decision to let him come back to run against his own age group at seven furlongs in the Prix Jean Prat before taking on the older horses.

“He ran very well [beaten a short-neck and a short-head in third], and another of his trips to France for the Prix du Moulin [beaten a short-head and neck in third] was very good too. I think he’s definitely upgrading from where we were. He seems to have come out of Ascot well, got a good, clean run and I think he’s got a good draw [in stall four]. He’s usually a quick breaker and is straightforward.

“I didn’t think he had a tough race at Ascot. He just got mugged by a 100/1 gelding [Cicero’s Gift], who just came out of nowhere but that was it.”