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Khalid Abdulla’s filly, sent off the 15/8 favourite, was given a perfect ride by Tom Queally, who settled his mount close to the pace just off the leaders. She hit a flat spot along the back straight but Queally urged her to keep her box-seat position and responding well she was back on the bridle turning for home. The pace-setter Visit came off the rail allowing Midday a perfect split around the inside. She showed her trade-mark turn of foot to put the race to bed in a matter of strides and galloped strongly to the line to win with a length to spare.

Cecil had come close to landing a Breeders’ Cup title with Eltish in 1994 but until last night a victory at America’s biggest meeting had eluded him. He said as his winner walked into the winners’ circle: “The main thing was to have a nice position and when she hit the straight she could go for home.”

“The Breeders’ Cup has always been her main target. I hoped to have her right for the Opera on Arc day but that race is a Group One and she needed the run slightly.” “I have always dreaded the Breeders’ Cup slightly as I haven’t had great results there.” “It is lovely to win for (owner) Prince Khalid Abdulla as he is a friend and supporter of mine. He stuck with me through the bad times and it is great to repay him.”

It was Queally’s first ride at Santa Anita and his performance on board Midday was second to none. He judged the pace of the race to perfection and this victory capped a tremendous season for him, being his fifth Group/ Grade 1 win. He said: “This crowns my year. Even if she had run well but not won it would have topped a great season, but this is the icing on the cake. “Henry told me to keep it simple and I knew she had heart, attitude and the ability to dig deep when it mattered.”

The daughter of Oasis Dream stays in training next year and connections hinted that a repeat bid for Breeders’ Cup honours, next year at Churchill Downs, may be on her agenda.

TWICE OVER ran the race of his life to finish a close third to Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday. Khalid Abdulla’s four-year old was settled in the mid-field by jockey Tom Queally before making steady headway along the back straight.He was forced slightly wide around the final bend but stayed on strongly under pressure to take third, beaten just over two lengths.

The son of Observatory stays in training and connections hinted that a tilt at the World’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup could be on the cards for him in the spring. He is one of the most consistent horses in training and has shown now that he is equally effective on the all-weather as he is on the turf.
Twice Over is a credit to his connections and with his career best effort on Saturday took his life time earning to over £1million.

Henry and the team have just arrived in Santa Anita, California ,to see their top trio race against the best in the world in the Breeders cup series of races on the 6th and 7th November. The horses, Father Time, Twice Over and Midday have arrived in the US where they will undergo final preparations ahead of the Breeders’ Cup this weekend.

Trainer Henry Cecil is optimistic and feels that all three have a ’serious chance’ of giving him a coveted first Breeders’ Cup crown. Father Time is in action on Friday in the 1m6f Breeder’s Cup Marathon on the all-weather Pro-Ride surface. The son of Dansili won his maiden on the all-weather at Great Leighs last season so should be at home on the surface.

Midday will also be in action on Friday in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare turf. The firm ground looks set to suit and our connections are hopeful that she can add another Group/Grade 1 win to her CV following her success in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood in August.

Twice Over will compete on the Pro-Ride for this first time when he lines up in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. The son of Observatory’s finest hour on the track came just over two weeks ago when he produced a career best to land the Champion Stakes at Newmarket.

Our connections would be thrilled if he could match that effort - or, preferably, build on it - to play a role in Saturday’s showpiece. Cecil, who today departed to America with wife Jane, said: “Our three runners have arrived safely and at this stage I am happy with them. “They all have a serious chance of finishing in the first three. Hopefully, we will do better than that and win but it’s not easy, especially as it’s so late in the year.”

All three of these horses have been fed Triflex since arriving with Henry, and the whole team at ProSportive look forward to them performing well at the weekend.