Can Mojo emulate Evs and give Mick Appleby and Tom Marquand another Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint success?

Everything looks in place for a third win in a row for Europe in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, the seventh time this 5f contest has been run as a championship event.

The last two winners have been trained by a pair of Applebys – Charlie in 2022 with Mischief Magic and Mick, who gained a first Breeders’ Cup success last year with Big Evs.

And British and Irish-trained runners, who make up more than half of this year’s field, look the ones to concentrate on.

Big Evs won the Flying Childers before landing this, and the Doncaster Group 2 looks the key form guide.

Archie Watson’s Wathnan Racing-owned Aesterius landed that prize in September, showing a good attitude to beat Mick Appleby’s Big Mojo by a neck, with Magnum Force back in third.

Both winner (drawn two) and runner-up (three) are speedy, progressive sorts who have bagged low draws and it should be close between them again.

Watson and Wathnan will be bidding for a first Breeders’ Cup success, and the owners look to have a strong second-string in Shareholder. Karl Burke’s runner was well beaten in the Prix Morny over 6f, but he’s better judged on his Norfolk success over this trip.

Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket, who won the Morny but was put in his place by subsequent Dewhurst winner Shadow Of Light in the Middle Park, has the highest official rating of 114.

However, a sharp 5f on fast ground isn’t certain to suit and he can be taken on. The draw (12) hasn’t been kind to O’Brien’s other runner Ides Of March.

US trainers won this four times in a row between 2018 and 2021, but the home contingent looks up against it this time. The pick of their runners is Listed scorer Governor Sam, but he makes limited appeal from box ten.

Of more interest is the unbeaten Japanese-trained Ecoro Sieg, who most recently gained an RPR of 107 when scoring at Nakayama. He drops in trip but is clearly smart and should not be underestimated.
Analysis by Richard Young

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Big shoes to fill for Mojo

Trainer Mick Appleby and owners Paul and Rachael Teasdale will be hoping lightning can strike twice as Big Mojo bids to follow in the hoofprints of stablemate Big Evs.

Big Evs raced prominently from stall four in the same race at Santa Anita last year and Big Mojo will carry the same colours from stall three as European-trained runners bid for a third straight success in the 5f contest.

Big Mojo faces a familiar foe in Aesterius, who he beat by three-quarters of a length in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood in July before losing out by a neck to the same rival in the Flying Childers at Doncaster last time and, like Big Evs, will be partnered by Tom Marquand.

Big Evs (Tom Marquand, right) and Big Mojo at Del MarCredit: Edward Whitaker

“Big Mojo is a different model to Big Evs," said the rider. "He's a bit stronger and bigger, with a different running style. He tends to take a lead, so we’ll see how he breaks. I’m really looking forward to getting on him and he felt fantastic on the grass on Wednesday morning.

"It’s probably taken him a little bit longer to settle into American life, but you can forgive a horse when he’s a quick learner. He looks a picture.”

What they say

James Doyle, rider of Aesterius
Letting him use his stride like we did at Doncaster definitely seems to suit him. We've got to go around a turn here, but he's trained well around a bend. We went anti-clockwise around Kempton, which is about as tight as you can get, and he went around it as if he was on rails.

Ger Lyons, trainer of Magnum Force
He's good and has settled in well. Whether he's good enough is the question. We'll soon find out.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Whistlejacket and Ides of March
Ryan [Moore] thought he should have gone forward more from the stalls on Whistlejacket in the Middle Park, but he still ran well. We think he’s quick and he should run well. Ides of March is also fast, and we think he’s going to be a sprinter next year. He probably doesn’t know as much about sprinting as Whistlejacket just yet but he’s going to learn a lot here.

Christophe Lemaire, rider of Ecoro Sieg
He's always keen, so I didn't ask too much when he worked during the week. He should handle five furlongs and I have to be confident.

Richard Brown, racing adviser to Wathnan Racing, owners of Shareholder
The Morny told us Shareholder isn’t a six-furlong horse. He’s had a much smoother preparation for this and Karl Burke feels he’s the horse he was going into Royal Ascot. He’s very fast so five furlongs on firm ground will be right up his alley.

Blair Golen, assistant to George Weaver, trainer of Governor Sam
He shipped in good and looks excellent. He looks like he’s five and acts like he's ten! He’s a big boy, a tank. He now associates travel with running. He’s settled and ready.
Reporting by Lewis Porteous

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12.25 Del Mar: 'He's felt super this week' - Oisin Murphy confident New Century can hold off Godolphin and Coolmore brigade in Juvenile Turf

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