The Fugue suffers bitter defeat at the hands of a Magician

Magician surges past The Fugue on the run to the winning line. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

An amazing training performance by Aidan O’Brien and a brilliant ride by Ryan Moore saw Magician quicken past The Fugue in the final run to the finishing line to capture the mile and a half Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita yesterday.

The Fugue, who had a luckless run when third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita a year ago, looked sure to win when William Buick drove the filly into the lead halfway up the straight.

It would have been three Group 1s in a row following her impressive victories in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks and Irish Champion Stakes, but Magician found a sensational turn of foot to mow her down near the winning post.

Magician, brilliant winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas in May, had not run since flopping in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and this was his first attempt at a distance beyond a mile.

Moore said: "He got a bump on the turn and lost his back end.

"Once I got him balanced he levelled off and he really quickened.

"He has an awful lot of gears. He quickened like a very good horse. I was just a bit worried by the trip.

"The Fugue is a very good filly. She had beaten all the good ones this year.

"This lad came in fresh after a long lay-off and put up a very good performance."

John Gosden, who trains The Fugue, said: "The horse has come awful late and she has not had a chance to come back at him.

"Full marks to Aidan as the horse has not run since June.

"We got the race done and got caught late. That’s racing."