Series stars on tour: Anthony Van Dyck seeks Breeders’ Cup glory

Anthony Van Dyck and Seamie Heffernan triumph in the Derby. Pic Steven Cargill/Racingfotos.com

Investec Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck will spearhead four QIPCO British Champions Series winners who will be in action at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita on Saturday night.

The Epsom hero, trained by Aidan O’Brien, has not got his head in front since winning the premier Classic in June but ran well third to Magical, his now-retired stablemate, in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on his latest start and is a leading fancy for the Breeders’ Cup Turf off at 11.40pm.

O’Brien said: “I’m very happy with him and the way he has come over here. If you look at his record this year, he just had one little blip on bad ground in the King George, when I shouldn’t have run him.

“But he put in a great run, I thought, in the Irish Champion, and has been for a racecourse gallop at Dundalk since.

“I think the trip, ground and track are all good for him here at Santa Anita. The Turf was always a race that we thought would suit him as he likes nice ground, he has the pace for a mile and a quarter and he gets a mile and a half.

“He’s a lovely horse with a lovely mind and he’s a great mover.”

His rivals in the mile and a half contest will include the Charlie Appleby-trained Old Persian, who was fifth in the St Leger last year and seventh in this summer’s Investec Coronation Cup.

Circus Maximus and Lord Glitters, winners of Champions Series races at Royal Ascot in June, will meet in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (10.20pm) when the opposition will also include three more British raiders in Suedois, Space Traveller and Hey Gaman.

Billesdon Brook had Iridressa back in third when landing the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last month and the pair will meet again in the Filly & Mare Turf over 10 furlongs at 8.54pm.

Fleeting, whose efforts this year include finishing third in the Investec Oaks, and Just Wonderful, also run.