More O'Brien and Appleby domination - but is it helpful? Four things we learned

Here are four things we learned from this week's racing . . .

1. If you’re good enough, weight doesn’t matter

No, that's not an advert for Weight Watchers, rather a philosophy that Paul Nicholls seems to subscribe to after stable stars Greaneteen and Frodon made a mockery of their top-weight status by storming to victories at Exeter and Wincanton on Friday and Saturday.

Greaneteen had Nicholls reaching for the D word as he compared his performance in winning the Haldon Gold Cup off an official rating 168 – conceding upwards of 15lb to the rest of the field – with Denman's stunning Hennessy Gold Cup win off 174 in 2009.

Frodon followed that up with a typically gutsy display giving piles of weight away to land the Badger Beer.

Frodon: humped top weight to victory to vindicate Paul Nicholls' bold strategyCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

It's no secret that Britain's major handicaps have declined in quality over the last two decades, with many top trainers preferring to keep their best horses away from such company, but Nicholls' bold strategy shows there should be nothing to fear from pitching the stars into these historic contests.
Sam Hendry

2. Britain and Ireland still have the best in the world – but the monopolisation is getting worse

On the surface, it was business as usual in the turf races at the Breeders’ Cup. Aidan O’Brien enjoyed success with Meditate, Victoria Road and Tuesday, while Charlie Appleby continued his fantastic Breeders’ Cup record thanks to Mischief Magic, Modern Games and Rebel’s Romance.

It would appear that all is rosy with British and Irish racing after another stellar international result, but is that really the case?

The success and dominance of O’Brien and Appleby on British and Irish shores needs no introduction and the fact it was those two trainers, backed by their vastly rich and endlessly successful owners, suggests all is perhaps not right.

There have been conversations about a potential monopoly of the top British and Irish races appearing, and results such as this will do little to dissuade people from that viewpoint.

We all want to see the best horses in the best races – that is not up for discussion – but the Breeders’ Cup showed the conglomeration of Europe's best talent heading to the superpowers remains alive and well.

It poses one big question: is there a danger of future Highfield Princess-esque stories being lost to a racing monopoly?
Owen Goulding

3. Envoi Allen is far from a write-off

Since falling early on in the 2021 Marsh Novices' Chase at Cheltenham, not much has gone right for Envoi Allen, who for years under Gordon Elliott had been anointed as the next big thing.

Sure, he'd won two Grade 1s in open company but both were in small fields against much lesser opposition and fears were growing his career would head the same way as equally promising former stablemate Samcro.

Envoi Allen: back with a bang against three top-level rivalsCredit: Patrick McCann

The hype which had once been shouted from the rooftops had quietened to a mere whisper, until he rebounded to top form in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase on Saturday.

This was a true test against some proven top-level performers in Kemboy, Conflated and Galvin and he passed it with flying colours. Whether he has enough to challenge fellow Cheveley Park stars A Plus Tard and Allaho at the top of the three-mile division remains to be seen, but this was a big step in the right direction.
Sam Hendry

4. Racing can still produce some exceptional human stories

In any other year not involving the magnificent Flightline, the biggest talking point from the Breeders’ Cup would have been the remarkable story of Cody’s Wish.

Sixteen-year-old Cody Dorman was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that means he has to communicate using a tablet.

On a Make-A-Wish trip to Godolphin’s Gainsborough Farm, an unnamed foal took a shine to Cody, and the Cody’s Wish story was born.

Cody’s Wish got up in the final strides of the Dirt Mile to win his second Grade 1 in astonishing fashion, leaving his trainer Bill Mott to say “luck is following this horse”.

Seeing the family celebrations in the winner's circle will have left most watching shedding a tear (or two).

Horseracing is often in the headlines for the wrong reasons and this is a story everyone associated with the sport can savour.
Owen Goulding

Read more on The Last Word . . .

Flightline posts another monster figure - but did it beat his best?

Deutsch dazzles on Dancer - but in the past he’d have somersaulted to the turf

Flightline’s exhilarating exhibition shows why racing still has us transfixed

Career best for Greaneteen - but how does it set him up for the Tingle Creek?

Catch our in-depth review of the weekend's racing every Monday in the Racing Post. With big-race analysis from Classic-winning jockey George Baker, Chris Cook's take on the weekend action, eyecatchers from the Raceform team, weekly awards and much more, it is not to be missed.