Ryan Moore goes to New York with a score to settle when he partners Aidan O’Brien’s Broome in a Grade One at Saratoga on Saturday night.
The English jockey finished a luckless runner-up on Japan in last year’s Sword Dancer Stakes, failing to get a clear run at a critical time and coming up just short of Gufo.
This time Broome flies the Ballydoyle flag in a $750,000 highlight due off at 10.05 Irish-time and live on Sky Sports Racing.
Last season’s Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud winner is a 3-1 morning line favourite in the US for a 10-runner contest that again includes Gufo as well as the veteran 2020 winner Channel Maker.
Broome finished runner-up on his sole transatlantic appearance to date in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Turf behind Yibir.
He failed to fire in last month’s King George at Ascot behind Pyledriver but before that was successful in the Hardwicke Stakes over the same course and distance.
“He made all the running against a good field and kept on going,” O’Brien reported. “We’ve been very happy with everything he’s done this year.”
Broome will break from stall three in a contest that also includes a trio of Grade One winners trained by top local handler Chad Brown.
Earlier on the Saratoga card, Joseph O’Brien aims to land a lucrative $105,000 maiden contest with two-year-old Alexis Zorba.
The son of Zoustar is part of a small team of horses O’Brien shipped to the New York venue for its prestigious summer programme.
Alexis Zorba finished runner-up in a maiden earlier this month and will again have the services of top rider Johnny Velazquez in a race off at 5.08 Irish time.
Earlier on Saturday O’Brien will be up against his father, Aidan, and brother, Donnacha, in the Newtownanner Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
It is one of a trio of Group Three events at HQ although the first of them may prove the most significant in the long-term.
Donnacha’s La Dolce Vita boasts a 97 rating in the Newtownanner, won last year by the subsequent Irish Oaks heroine, Magical Lagoon, while Ballydoyle is represented by Maybe Just Maybe and Dame Kiri.
It is Caroline Street, a daughter of sire of the moment No Nay Never, who could emerge on top though judged by an impressive debut victory at Leopardstown.
Big money Irish Cambridgeshire
Joseph O’Brien supporters are also likely to fancy their chances with Warrior Lion in the first and top weight Karaoke in the concluding Nursery.
The big-money pot on Saturday’s race day, run in memory of the late Pat Smullen, is the Paddy Power Supporting Cancer Trials Irish Cambridgeshire.
A total of 27 line up for the historic handicap with Ado McGuinness saddling half a dozen runners.
Jessica Harrington landed it last year with Bopedro and has three chances this time including the fancied Cowboy Justice.
Although the mile trip could be an issue, there could still be some betting value in the outsider Shawaamekh who ran on up the hill in Galway well enough and ruined his chance last time by stumbling at Roscommon.
Magic Chegaga, the mare that supplied trainer Brian Duffy with a fairytale success in the Galway Mile last month, goes after black type in the Group Three Snow Fairy Stakes.
Seamus Heffernan is back on board Magic Chegaga as her Galway pilot Colin Keane teams up with Juncture.
The latter, who lined up in the Guineas in the Spring, ran on well enough when runner-up to Boundless Ocean in the Desmond Stakes to suggest an extra furlong should suit well.
