Gitano states bound..

Timeform now rates him at 124. He has improved his Timeform mark in EVERY start.

Commentary as follows: good-topped colt: fourth foal: half-brother to 1½m winner in Sweden by Rainbow Quest: dam, 9f/1¼m winner, later Grade 3 1m winner in US: very smart and progressive form: won handicap at Doncaster (readily, despite hanging left) in March, minor event at Wolverhampton (beat Mia's Boy 2 lengths) in September and Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita (by a neck from Colonel John, leading just inside final 1f and keeping on well) in October: only defeat in last 5 starts when head second to South Easter in Dee Stakes at Chester: will stay 1½m: acts on polytrack/pro-ride and good to firm going.

At this point, I am more interested in the World Cup in Dubai than the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Yes Barry its tough at the top, but someone has to make a call, sure you will do what's best for your new star.

Sounds like a plan Barry

Wish I could say I would fly to Dubai for that race....lol

It is a nice conundrum to have I guess!!

All the best Barry, he is a super looking horse!

Gitano Hernando odds-on to go for Classic

GITANO HERNANDO is odds-on to take his chance in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita next month, according to trainer Marco Botti.

He is to stay in California after his win under Kieren Fallon in the 1m1f Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at the course last weekend and is likely to be supplemented to the feature event at the world's biggest meeting, at a cost of $250,000, if he remains in good shape.

"I would say at the moment it is probably a 60-70 per cent chance to run him but it depends how he works in the next couple of weeks," Botti said on Thursday.

"Gitano Hernando will stay at Santa Anita for the next three weeks up to the Breeders' Cup but whether he will run we are not sure. He is going to have some work in the next ten days and we just want to see how he is then decide closer to the time."

The three-year-old could be taking on the likes of Rip Van Winkle and Fame And Glory in the Classic, but Botti said: "I always thought that a mile-and-a-quarter would be the ideal trip and Sea The Stars is not going.

"There are O'Brien's horses, which are top-class horses, but he handles the surface very well and he has already won at Santa Anita so he could have a decent chance."

Marco is talking out of turn, because nobody knows what is going to happen yet.

Sorry!

Barry Irwin Wrote:

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>
> At this point, I am more interested in the World
> Cup in Dubai than the Breeders' Cup Classic.

above posted by Barry 9 days ago

Suppose this is old news then ->

GITANO HERNANDO, who catapulted himself into the Breeders' Cup Classic reckoning with a surprise Grade 1 victory at Santa Anita last time out, will not run in the American highlight.

Instead, trainer Marco Botti will target the three-year-old at next year's Dubai World Cup, the inaugural running of the world's richest race on the all-weather at the new Meydan racecourse.

Kieren Fallon partnered Gitano Hernando to a neck victory in the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes, the number one west-coast Classic trial at Santa Anita earlier this month.

However, Barry Irwin, spokesman for owners Team Valor, has ruled out a tilt the Breeders' Cup highlight on November 7 for the son of Hernando.

"The colt just ran too hard last time and we don't feel comfortable bringing him back in a month," said Irwin, speaking in the Daily Racing Form.

"We feel that he is a prime candidate for the World Cup in Dubai next spring and that the risk to the colt by running him back at such a high level next time is too great."

Irwin added that Gitano Hernando would be staying with Newmarket-based trainer Marco Botti, a plan to switch the colt to an American trainer having been abandoned after the Goodwood success.

"We originally planned to leave Gitano Hernando in the United States," Irwin said. "However, it would take a braver person than me to yank this colt away from this trainer after what he accomplished in the Goodwood. I am not going to break up this team."

Gitano Hernando has won all thereof his starts on the all-weather - and the Dubai World Cup will be run on the newly installed Tapeta surface at Meydan, where it will carry a $10 million prize fund.

"We could bring the colt to Dubai in January or February, or we could just show up for the big day itself," said Botti.

"We will play it by ear," he added. "We have all-weather surfaces available to us in Newmarket.

"This is the type of horse that needs one good prep, as he showed in winning the Goodwood.

"Worse-case scenario, we could work him at Lingfield or even stage our own afternoon trial if necessary. We have a lot of options."