Dermot Weld: Tarnawa success on par with Go And Go winning the Belmont Stakes

Dermot Weld has said winning the Breeders' Cup Turf is right up there with his greatest training achievements and admitted the sitting room at Rosewell House got quite animated as Tarnawa came with her trademark late surge to thwart Magical at Keeneland under an inspired Colin Keane.

It was Weld's eighth Grade 1 win in the United States, but his first at the Breeders' Cup, and the 72-year-old said he cannot split Tarnawa's thrilling success and the ground-breaking Belmont Stakes victory of Go And Go back in 1990.

Weld told the Racing Post on Sunday: "It was absolutely tremendous and I'd say it's on a par with Go And Go winning the Belmont Stakes.

"I watched the race at home with my family around me and, while I wouldn't usually get too excited about, I'll admit we were all a bit more animated than usual. Naturally enough, as you must remember this is one of the biggest races in the world. I'm just so proud of the filly.

"I've been getting calls all night and all morning, the phone hasn't stopped. I even got a call from a guy who lives on the border between Kenya and Uganda. He had heard the Breeders' Cup results on the BBC World Service and got in touch immediately. There have been people from every cross-section of society who I have met down through the years calling me. My mother was a Waterford woman and I think they're trying to claim me down there. It's been wonderful."

Tarnawa's win was also a breakthrough success at the meeting for Keane, recently crowned champion jockey in Ireland for the second time and stepping in as a late replacement for Christophe Soumillon, who should have ridden the four-year-old but was ruled out after testing positive for coronavirus.

Speaking about his emotions during the race, Weld said: "There was a little bit of a worry on the home turn when she got pushed very wide, but she has a tremendous turn of foot and she was able to use that.

"It was unfortunate that Christophe was unable to ride, but we were lucky to get a rider of Colin's calibre. I was very pleased to have him and he rode her to perfection. He's a very exciting young rider."

Weld has transformed Tarnawa into arguably Europe's greatest middle-distance performer – male or female – and Saturday's famous success was her third win on the trot at the highest level.

The trainer said: "It was always the plan to train her for these races in the second half of the season, it didn't happen by chance. I have the highest regard for Magical, but my filly quickened to some tune up the home straight. She's a stayer with speed and improving all the time."

There was a sadness attached to the famous success, though, as it brought memories of the late, great Pat Smullen flooding back to Weld.

He said: "I miss him. Pat and Tarnawa would have been a great combination together. He used to love riding horses like her; ones you needed to take your time on, get into a rhythm and come late. I love my horses to get into a rhythm and Pat was brilliant at that. That's why we were together for more than 20 years."

When asked whether Tarnawa would be staying in training next season, Weld replied: "No decision has been made yet and we'll discuss all that in due course. We'll enjoy this first. If she stays in training I would imagine she'd take a similar path to the one she took this year, but we'll see."

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