O’Brien sets new Breeders’ Cup trainer record

With Gstaad’s emphatic victory in the Juvenile Turf, Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien has become the most successful trainer in Breeders’ Cup history.

Gstaad passed his rivals in the one-mile race at Del Mar near San Diego despite a challenging wide post thanks to Christophe Soumillon’s superb timing late push.

O’Brien won the Breeders’ Cup for the first time in 21 years, surpassing the late D Wayne Lukas, and he placed eighth in the Juvenile Turf with a record-extending win.

O’Brien called it “extraordinary,” saying, “Wayne was a special man, unbelievable.”

“Wayne was such a big help to us all the time, and he was even more so when Giant’s Causeway was available. When we were still relatively young, he helped shoe him while he rode his own horse down to the track.

He made no mistake about helping his owners and horses. He had many great dreams, and he was incredibly special.

Donnacha O’Brien celebrated his first Breeders’ Cup victory while O’Brien senior, who has 26 top-level victories this year, held the record for the championship wins.

Oisin Murphy, the champion jockey, rode Balantina to a thunderous surprise victory in the $1 million (£760, 292) Juvenile Fillies Turf, his maiden victory.

This is truly exceptional. Donnacha, 27, described it as “fabulous” after working as a winning Breeders’ Cup trainer alongside his father and brother.