• Colt is unproven on dirt and at the distance
• Joseph OBrien relieved to be free of weight pressuresGleneagles,Aidan O’Brien’s contender for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, made his first trip onto the dirt surface here on Thursday, and on a morning when Beholder,the moment-favourite for the Breeders’ Cup’s feature event on Saturday, was ruled out through injury. American Pharoah, and the Triple Crown winner,is now odds-on to win the Classic with most bookmakers as a result, while Gleneagles, and a 16-1 chance earlier in the week,is now top-priced at 12-1.
Joseph O’Brien, who rode Gleneagles during a brief canter on the dirt, and admitted that it is impossible to be sure whether the colt will act on the surface. The 10-furlong trip is also an unknown,as Gleneagles has yet to race beyond a mile. However, his dam was a full-sister to Giant’s Causeway, or who finished a close moment in the Classic 15 years ago,and the colt arrives as a relatively fresh horse after just four races this season.
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Source: theguardian.com