Murtagh keen on Master Aidan O'Brien sends a smaller team than normal to the Breeders' Cup this weekend but Johnny Murtagh is confident the four runners from Ballydoyle will put up a big show. Murtagh believes his best chance of glory this weekend lies with the two-year-olds - particularly Master Of Hounds in the Juvenile Turf on Saturday. He said: "When you look at the juveniles we've run here, Westphalia ran very well, so did Viscount Nelson and Master Of Hounds has been campaigned in Group One races." "We're not under as much pressure this year either, we're coming in with only four runners and we might just be a little underestimated." Ballydoyle may be flying under the radar, but Murtagh's enthusiasm about Master Of Hounds is unmistakable. "I think he's probably my best ride. He's a nice big, horse and the Racing Post Trophy was a good race this year. He didn't get the best run, got squeezed out early on and it was a slowly-run race. In the end he wasn't comfortable on the ground, they were just knocking the top off it." "I think he'll like fast ground, he'll like the track and he's a genuine Group One horse. I think he's my best ride of the week." Together has the tough obstable of a 13 post position to overcome in the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday, but Murtagh knows only too well that's not impossible to overcome. He revealed: "When I came over here and won on Kalanisi (Breeders' Cup Turf in 2000), Gary Stevens told me not to worry as it's a long enough straight. If you're good enough you'll hopefully get there. It's fairer than a lot of the American tracks. "She has a tough draw in 13 but isn't a bad filly and has Group One form. I'm not sure how strong the grass juvenile fillies are over here in America this time but the draw doesn't help me. I'll give her a bit of a chance, try to get in a bit, and hopefully come on strong at the end." Beethoven represents Ballydoyle against the brilliant Goldikova and the rest in the Mile on Saturday, and Murtagh says he's a horse who may come into his own at this time of year. "He always comes good this time of the year. He won the Dewhurst last season and then ran very well in the Juvenile. Aidan has had this race in mind for quite a while - it's going to be very tough - but he has a good draw in one and can hopefully sneak around the inside. If we ran in the first three it would be a great result." O'Brien and Murtagh teamed up with Man Of Iron to win the Marathon last year, and they have Bright Horizon this time round. Murtagh said: "We won it last year and if it was on pro-ride again you might be that bit more confident, it's not such a dramatic change from grass to pro-ride and who knows what will happen on the dirt? However we're hopeful he'll run a nice race."
