Safe Voyage leads the way for the Yorkshire trainers at the Breeders Cup meeting this season, with three handlers from the white rose county taking horses over for some big prizes.
John Quinn, Kevin Ryan and Nigel Tinkler are the three handlers who will be representing Yorkshire at Keeneland at the two day meeting with Safe Voyage looking like the best chances out of all the horses going over.
The gelding even coming towards the end of his career seems to be getting consistently better having landed the Group Two City Of York Stakes at the Ebor meeting and backing that up in gritty style to see off the Michael Halford trained Sinawann in a photo finish.
Now going in search of a hat-trick the seven furlong specialist will be stepped up to Group One company for his next outing and having snubbed the Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp and the QEII at Ascot, his trainer has had the Breeders Cup meeting in his plans for sometime.
His trainer John Quinn said: Early in the spring, we thought the Breeders’ Cup could suit Safe Voyage. He’s got some very good form going left-handed.
(Credit ATR) “His best form before this season was over seven furlongs, but he then won and dug deep when he won over a mile at Leopardstown, so the mile at Keeneland will hold no fears for him.”
“He finished third in the Qatar Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp last time and has been in good form since that race at the start of October. He’s come out of that race well.”
Glass Slippers is the only runner for Kevin Ryan at the meeting and she will be entered into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and the filly has some stand out form throughout her career and if recapturing it could go very close in this event.
This is her time of year!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 13, 2020
Glass Slippers is five from six in the autumn and lands Group 1 honours once again in the @Derrinstown Flying Five for Tom Eaves and @kevinryanracing 👏#LICW2020 @curraghrace #IrishChampsWknd pic.twitter.com/uTKD8LUiHG
Having won the Group One Prix de l'Abbaye last season, she finished fifth at Royal Ascot in the King's Stands Stakes and improved for that run when a good second behind Battaash.
She got her season going in the Group One Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh when landing the black type event and then last time out finished a narrow second when trying to defend her title in the Abbaye in France.
“The Breeders’ Cup has been on our mind all season. She won the ‘Win and You’re In’ race at the Curragh and also ran well in the Abbaye from a bad draw,” said Ryan.
The handler is hoping for some rain for his stable star and said: “She’s very versatile as far as the ground is concerned, but I think she is a better filly with some cut in the ground.”
Ubettabelieveit is Nigel Tinkler's runner and heads to the Juvenile Turf Sprint on the Friday and with how progressive he has been throughout the season he looks to have a huge chance.
The two year old was last seen winning the Group Two Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster, flying home late in the day and his handler will be wanting fast ground to get the best out of his superstar.
“I think he’s definitely improving. I think he’s better now than when he ran at Doncaster,” said the Malton handler.
“We then took him to Sandown where he ran very impressively and won very easily again. We then took him to York for the Gimcrack, which is over six furlongs.
“The ground was soft, bordering on heavy. He just didn’t like it – he ran too keen. Fortunately, the jockey was quite lenient with the horse, and gave him a very easy race, and he bounced back well to win the Flying Childers at Doncaster.”