Saturday’s BC Turf Races Are at the Mercy of Europe’s Finest

by Roy Brindley, 30 October 2025

They say the ‘Turf Meets The Surf’ at Del Mar. On Breeders’ Cup Saturday, European horses might land all four Breeders’ Cup turf races, necessitating a change of slogan!

California’s Del Mar stages nine Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday. © Getty Images

Key Facts:

• Europe has strong chances in four Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday.
• Minnie Hauk is the clear favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
• £10 million earner Rebel’s Romance is seeking a third Breeders’ Cup success.
• Breeders’ Cup races will be televised live by three UK broadcasters.

Hopes are high for European success at the Breeders’ Cup this Saturday. The UK and Ireland are responsible for two short-priced favourites, and it has a hatful of runners in the turf contests that form part of a stunning nine-race card. $23 million in prize money is on offer.

The Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, the opening Breeders’ Cup race on Saturday’s card, is an all-American affair. Likewise, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Distaff, Dirt Mile and Classic feature no European representatives.

The four remaining contests could all fall to the visitors. European interest starts with the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at 7.41 pm, where the Irish-trained Arizona Blaze is the shortest-priced runner for the raiding party.

Blaze Can Blitz the Sprint

Trained in Ireland by Adrian Murray, Arizona Blaze already has experience of Del Mar’s racetrack, having finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint 12 months ago. His subsequent eight outings, all as a three-year-old, have yielded victories at Group 1, 2 and 3 levels.

Blazing to victory 🔥

Arizona Blaze atones wins the Flying Five at the Curragh 🙌pic.twitter.com/4mATg2XAjN

— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) September 14, 2025

Most recently successful in the Group-1 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh, David Egan’s mount has fared relatively well in the draw and will start from gate-6. The betting favourite, Motorious, will emerge from gate 1.

Lightly-raced, but on a winning sequence of three, and the runner-up in this race last year, Motorious deserves his place at the head of the betting. However, the local hope is aged seven, which suggests he cannot be getting any faster.

In a competitive-looking contest, Arizona Blaze is generally quoted on 4/1 odds by the UK’s online betting sites. However, bookmaker William Hill, now with a significant footprint in the USA, where European runners attract less betting interest, quotes the Irish speedball on 7/1. It is a price that is unlikely to last.

Rebel’s Love Affair With the Turf Can Continue

Filling the top six places in the betting, the one-mile four-furlong Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (9.41 pm) is dominated by European horses. At even-money, it is Epsom, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Minnie Hauk whom the UK’s online bookmakers respect the most.

Aidan O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup legacy continues, and this time Christophe Soumillon is in the irons.

Presented with @FanDuelTV pic.twitter.com/2vHkuaFm35

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 29, 2025

Should Aidan O’Brien’s Arc de Triomphe runner-up fail to bring her best form to the party, Charlie Appleby’s Rebel’s Romance will likely win the race for a second time and take his Breeders’ Cup record to three-from-three.

Five Group race victories in 2025 have pushed this admirable horse’s career earnings beyond £10 million and, from a European standpoint, should success come, he would be the most popular winner of the meeting.

Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Race Times

• 7.00 pm: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
• 7.41 pm: Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
• 8.21 pm: Breeders’ Cup Sprint
• 9.01 pm: Breeders’ Cup Distaff
• 9.41 pm: Breeders’ Cup Turf
• 10.25 pm: Breeders’ Cup Classic
• 11.05 pm: Breeders’ Cup Mile
• 11.45 pm: Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
• 12.25 am: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Another Notable Winner for Appleby?

Appleby and his jockey, William Buick, are responsible for Notable Speech, the favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (11.05 pm). Contesting his tenth consecutive Group/Grade 1 race, the 2024 2000 Guineas winner has drawn an advantageous gate 2. Resultingly, his odds hover around 2/1.

Once again, Europe has plenty of back-up options with the French raider, Salhan, and Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter situated second and third on the betting lists. For good measure, Andrew Balding has Jonquil in the field, and 150/1 Glorious Goodwood winner, Qirat, is a fifth European challenger.

Oaks Winner To Give France Another Cup Winning Filly?

There is no authoritative favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (12.25 am), which will bring the curtain down on the meeting. Half its 14-runner field is trained in Europe, including the top three in the current betting.

Andrew Balding’s See The Fire, with five Group-1 placed efforts on her CV but just one win in her last eight starts, is one of the fancied runners. Charlie Appleby’s Cinderella’s Dream, runner-up in the 2024 Filly & Mare Turf and a Group 1 and Group 2 winner in 2025, is another.

With French trainer Francis Graffard sweeping up all before him, it would be no surprise if his Gezora lands the spoils. The winner of the French Oaks, Gezora most recently contested the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The appearance underlined the high regard Graffard holds the filly in.

France has only won eight races at the Breeders’ Cup. Six of those were claimed by fillies or mares. At 5/1 odds, Gezora has a more than realistic chance of improving the nation’s record in North America’s horse racing world championships.

How to watch Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Action

All Breeders’ Cup races can be watched live on Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV. ITV4’s Breeders’ Cup coverage will run for two hours starting at 8.45 pm. It will cover the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Breeders’ Cup Classic races.