Oisin Murphy rides first Breeders Cup winner

Oisin Murphy claimed his first Breeders’ Cup winner when riding the Japanese mare Marche Lorraine to a thrilling — but surprising — victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar.

Having created history just a few hours earlier with Loves Only You in the Filly & Mare Turf, trainer Yoshito Yahagi doubled his and Japan’s tally at the meeting.

With the local favourites all chasing a red-hot early tempo and fading even before the home turn, it was Dunbar Road and Marche Lorraine who fought out the finish.

As the pair crossed the line, a dead heat looked a real possibility but Murphy, who has enjoyed success in Japan on his forays there, was overjoyed at the win.

“I wasn’t sure (if I’d won), it was very hard to tell in the shadows at this time of day,” said Murphy, who recently claimed a third champion jockey title in the UK.

“This is a dream come true for me personally to win at the Breeders’ Cup, on dirt, on a Japanese horse. It’s the biggest stage in the world.

“Honestly did I think I could win? No, I didn’t, but Mr Yahagi has now had two winners today, Loves Only You and this one. That’s an unbelievable training performance.

“I try hard to get on the best horses I can around the world, I’m only 26 and these are the opportunities I crave.”

Life Is Good ran out a hugely impressive winner of the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to mark himself as a major player for some of the richest races in the world.

An early favourite for the Kentucky Derby before injury struck, he lived up to his tall reputation.

Formerly trained by Bob Baffert, he was moved to Todd Pletcher and bar a defeat to Jackie’s Warrior over seven furlongs, nothing much has got near him.

Sent into an early lead by Irad Ortiz, who was already on a high having won the Turf Sprint on Golden Pal, the result was never in doubt and Life Is Good pulled further and further clear.

Ginobli gave chase in vain, but in the final 100 yards was running on empty and was fully six lengths away at the line.

Pletcher said: “We were anticipating an outstanding performance and it was extremely impressive. He’s one of those rare horses that can breeze and gallop at high speeds and then go faster.

“When you train a horse as good as this, you feel you are sitting on a big day.

“He has the ability to handle two turns going as straight as an arrow. I think our job now is to try to teach him how to ration out that speed and then learn to relax.”

Hot favourite Gamine could finish only third behind Ce Ce in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Winner of the race 12 months ago, Gamine, trained by Baffert, had gone unbeaten leading into the race this season but had not shown the brilliance that earmarked her performances as a three-year-old.

Gamine set out to make all as she has done in the past, but she was never allowed to dominate, despite facing only four rivals, and one of those, Proud Emma, was tailed off throughout.

She was firstly challenged by Edgeway on the inside, before Bella Sofia made her move on the outer turning for home.

Ce Ce was last to stake her claim, but came with a late rattle under Victor Espinoza to provide trainer Michael McCarthy with a second Breeders’ Cup win.

Baffert said of Gamine’s eclipse: “She broke well but was hassled and I part blame myself for not teaching her to lay off the pace.

“I knew the winner was going to be the one to beat, it just wasn’t Gamine’s day and I could see she was struggling, but we’ve had a great run with her.”

McCarthy said of the winner: “It was almost too good to be true the way the pace stacked up and Victor has done a really great job keeping her away from those two fillies.

“When she got the heads up in the stretch and reached the quarter-pole I certainly got excited, and at the eighth it was over.”

Espinoza said: “As long as my body functions right, I want to carry on. I trained and got prepared for this because Ce Ce is a great filly.

“I think she can run any distance, but it was hard to time it. I think that at seven-eighths she is a champion.”

Aloha West came from the clouds to give Jose Ortiz a second Breeders’ Cup winner of the weekend in the Sprint.

Jackie’s Warrior was expected to take all the beating but having set some sensational early fractions, the hot favourite was beaten early in the straight.

Dr Schivel appeared to have them all beaten with 100 yards to run but Aloha West, representing the same Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners who won the Queen Mary with Quick Suzy, got up in the final strides for Wayne Catalano.

Ortiz earned the plaudits on Friday for his ride on Pizza Bianca in the Juvenile Fillies Turf and produced another top-notch performance.

Owner Aaron Wellman said: “Wayne has done such a fantastic job. He told me two months ago when he was second in the Phoenix that he would win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

“Wayne rode 3,000 winners as a jockey and has trained 2,000 and is for me a worthy Hall Of Famer.

“There’s no telling how good this horse could be.”