O'BRIENS THE STARS AT DEL MAR DAY 1

Father and son kick off Breeders’ Cup with Gstaad, Balantina claiming two of five Gls

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Gstaad won the Juvenile Turf to give Irish master trainer Aidan O’Brien a record 21st Breeders’ Cup triumph on Oct 1, as his son Donnacha O’Brien bagged his first with Balantina’s upset win in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Gstaad capped an impressive two-year-old season with that third career win coming in the US$1 million (S$1.3 million) Grade1 race over 1,600m at Del Mar racetrack near San Diego.

The Starspangledbanner colt went off as the $11 favourite despite an unfavourable outside post, and amply living up to his billing.

Belgian ace Christophe Soumillon timed his late push to perfection, sweeping past on the outside over Stark Contrast (Kazushi Kimura), with the Joseph O’Brien-trained North Coast (Dylan Browne McMonagle) third.

“I think the horse is just good,” said Soumillon. “Today he jumped a bit slow but, after two or three strides, I could be close and he was travelling very well.