David Jennings at Del Mar: this was the day Ireland conquered California and an 'incredible' man called O'Brien made more history

A greenwash in the golden state. The opening salvo of the 41st Breeders' Cup belonged to Ireland as the three turf races staged in the vast western American state went the way of the same small northern European country. You could fit five Irelands into California. It's quite incredible, really, when you think of it. 

And, to think, the joint most successful trainer in Breeders' Cup history is now Irish, too, after Aidan O'Brien moved up to the top of the leader board alongside the legendary D Wayne Lukas on 20 winners. The latest chapter in the Ballydoyle record books was written by Henri Matisse, who was on his best behaviour in the Juvenile Turf. No blinkers, no nonsense, no stopping the tall, dark and handsome son of Wootton Bassett. 

Earlier on a sun-kissed November afternoon at Del Mar, housing a crowd of 30,982, Lake Victoria proved herself to be the most reliable of Ballydoyle bankers in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. The opening bend almost wiped her out, but she ghosted through the field to score emphatically. She was just a hell of a lot better than the others.