What a weekend in store! Top class racing of every discipline everywhere you look, and punters with an eye on the European invasion of the Breeders’ Cup will be itching to get started later on Friday night.

The big antepost gamble of the meeting so far has seen Bobby Frankel’s Ventura halved in price by all the firms over the last couple of days (generally 5/1 from 10/1 but as short as 7/2 in places) for Friday evening’s Filly & Mare Sprint, and her speed played late on could well put the bookmakers 1-0 down, but we’ll wait for Saturday for a couple of decent chances:

One of those is US Ranger, sent over by Aidan O’Brien for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (8.15pm Saturday) and each-way at 12/1 with bet365 and Blue Square (bigger on the American Tote) he can make the frame at a tasty price.

Obvious dangers include French-trained short-priced jolly Goldikova, winner of her last three after twice running into the roadblock which is Zarkava, plus last year’s winner Kip Deville, but at their likely short prices we’ll shop elsewhere.

As I mentioned above US Ranger will go off at a monster price on the American Tote, so it may pay to wait and take the local price as year-on-year we see the ‘away team’ available at hugely inflated odds.

What’s in his favour? He might be tricky to win with, but he’s been knocking on the door in a heap of top races, and could well appreciate the step up in trip on a track that could bring out the best of him, with tight bends and an emphasis on a speed finish which could well see the four-year-old son of Danzig in the shake-up.

Also on the Turf track Eagle Mountain can give South African master trainer Mike de Kock a long overdue Breeders’ Cup success in the aptly named Breeders’ Cup Turf (11pm Sat); out injured for 12 months after running second to Literato in the 2007 Champion Stakes, he bounced back on his first run for de Kock at the first time of asking at Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting to take the Group 3 Joel Stakes.

The word is that winning re-appearance has done him a world of good, and at a standout 6/1 he rates a cracking each-way prospect with Ladbrokes.

A quick word about the all-weather surface: Santa Anita’s synthetic ‘Pro-Ride’ track is likely to ride on the fast side, and we should see a successful trip for several European raiders, with underfoot conditions likely to inconvenience many of them far less than the dirt they would otherwise have encountered.

The chief beneficiary of which could be Henrythenavigator. The Breeders’ Cup Classic (11.45pm) looks set to be a corker, and he can punish a generous quote of 8/1 from both Blue Square and Sporting Bet.

A four-time Group 1 winner including both the English and Irish Guineas, St James’s Palace and Sussex Stakes in consecutive races, the obvious concern is he has never raced over further than a mile, but let’s not forget it wasn’t many moons ago he was being talked about as a potential Derby horse, and the race could be run to suit.

He loves firm ground, and sees his races out like a runaway train, and in my book ‘Henry’ looks a far more attractive each-way investment at the current prices than reigning champ Curlin, who has looked as if his ‘powers’ could be on the wane in recent appearances.
The stats are miserable for horses returning to the race after having previously been placed in it, and we’ll row in with ‘Henry’ at a value price to at least make the frame.

Breeders Cup Tips

Breeders Cup Mile Odds Comparison – US Ranger (each-way).
Live Breeders Cup Turf Betting Odds – Eagle Mountain (each-way).
Latest Breeders Cup Classic Odds – Henrythenavigator (each-way).