Alice & Bomb take on Tepin Aidan O'Brien runs two against US star Tepin in his bid for victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Saturday. The Ballydoyle maestro runs Hit It A Bomb, triumphant in the Juvenile Turf 12 months ago but winless this season, and the high-class filly Alice Springs. "Hit It A Bomb is in good order, he just had a setback in the spring and didn't get started until late but since then he's been progressing with every run," said O'Brien. "Ascot probably didn't suit him the last day but he's good around a bend and the fast ground will suit him well. "He's drawn badly (12) so I'd imagine Seamus (Heffernan) will take his time with him but he could come with a run. "In our part of the world the races tend not to be run to suit him." He added: "I'm looking forward to Alice. She's been progressive and loves the fast ground. "It's a good race but with every run she's getting quicker and better. "She's a strong traveller. She goes there very strong so it should be interesting." Tepin aims to join an elite club of multiple winners of the race after a surprise defeat last time out. Trained in North America by Mark Casse, the mare was an easy winner of the race 12 months ago and her star has been on the rise ever since. Adventurous owner Robert Masterman gained plenty of new friends just by even running her at Royal Ascot, but the fact she was able to win the Queen Anne on soft ground marked her down as the best miler in the world. That made her staying-on defeat to Photo Call in the First Lady even more of a surprise and connections insist jockey Julien Leparoux will not make the same mistake twice. "Coming into this week I've been delighted with her," said Casse. "She loves to train at Churchill Downs, but it is so hot there in summer that we have to get her ready at Saratoga and she doesn't like it there. "I think she just tolerates the everyday training at Saratoga, without being enthusiastic about it, and it was noticeable that when she shipped back to Churchill and did some work, I didn't recognise it was the same filly. "She was so much more impressive."
