Tweet

racing news /

By Billy Blakeman ValueChecker

Record Breaking Win for Goldikova at Breeders Cup
07/11/10

Two remarkable performances were witnessed at Churchill Downs at the Breeders Cup Championships. Firstly tears of joy for a record breaking third victory with French Goldikova, and then tears of sadness as Zenyatta was unable to complete 20 undefeated races by a margin no bigger than a nose.

Zenyatta was the one they had all come to see. Even in the midst of a multitude of Champions on show this Saturday, she was the one whom all expectation rested. She pranced around at the start in something that looked straight out of the Seabiscuit story. Indeed, its very likely she will have her own title movie before long. She knew the crowd where there to see her and she played her part beautifully before the race.

The stalls opened and she dropped to the rear of the field and by the first turn was at the back and some 20 lengths off the pace. Not that we had to worry about the distance between first and last, the leading quartet had visibly gone off fast and Zenyatta was going to run her own race as she had done on 19 victorious occasions previously. Although the signs were there early on and she didn't look settled for at least the first half mile. She made ground and always had the eventual winner Blame in her sights. She made her ground as as they came off the final bend, Blame had hit the front.

Zenyatta had a lot to do, but no more than she had managed in the past. Perhaps on this occasion the competition was maybe a solitary pound better than she had had to chase down before, She came with in the stretch and so very nearly made it, she looked like she would make it and make it 20 runs and 20 wins, but Blame held on to win by a nose. Another yard or two and the result and the history books would have looked so different. Speculation rang out immediately around the ride given her by jockey Mike Smith, “Shocking ride”, “Over Confident”, “Gave the Champ too much to do”. All these and more were angled to Smith who was in tears after the race. Simply, given the way she travelled in the first half mile, and her quirkiness, she did remarkably well to finish as close as she did, bearing in mind the pair were four lengths clear of the chasing third placed runner. Take nothing away from the winner, a great performance and a great run and ride for Blame to take the classic

Whilst Zenyatta didn't read the script, Goldikova certainly did, and the Freddy Head trained champion added a 2010 title to the cups won in 2008 and 2009. She never looked in the trouble we were to see Zenyatta in later in the closing Classic, although she did have to race wide throughout, but when it came to the business end of the race and coming off the final turn, she had six rivals in front of her, and her old adversary Paco Boy behind as expected. She hit the straight off the turn and John Valazquez pressed the button and it was if the field stopped in front of her such was her turn of foot. She sailed passed the field to hit the front and the result was never in danger. A mark of how good this run was, is the finishing position of her old adversary Paco Boy who despite running on in similar fashion had to do so from the traditional position back in the field and managed to gain only a fourth position. Make no mistake, Goldikova had pulled out a fantastic performance to land her record breaking third Breeders Cup win.

There was more European, and more specifically, English and Wiltshire cheer as Brian Meehans Dangerous Midge scored earlier on the card in the Breeders Cup turf under the jockey-ship of Frankie Dettori. And there was no questions to be asked about Dettoris ride, asking for an effort from a long way out it seemed the race was gone when Behkabad was getting a beautiful run up the inside off the turn. But in a stern test of stamina, Dangerous Midge just kept giving more and more and eventually stayed on sufficiently to win going away to add a huge title to her modest previous best of a group 3 victory. Meehans faith was paid off.