Balantina dazzles under Murphy to give Donnacha O’Brien glory at the Breeders’ Cup

A daring rail move by Oisin Murphy and a brilliant turn of foot from Balantina secured a famous success for Donnacha O’Brien in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

With Aidan O’Brien’s Precise an absentee, the race had a much more open look and it was Balantina who produced a career best, in a performance matched by the man in the saddle, whose call to switch to the inside close home in the mile feature proved inspired.

Chasing her hard at the line was Andrew Balding’s Pacific Mission, running a huge race for Colin Keane to get as close as she did after missing the break.

Winning at the showpiece fixture for the first time, O’Brien said: “Precise is a champion filly and when she scratched it made it a bit easier for us, it’s incredible. Oisin was majestic on her.

“We’ve been coming here for a long time, since we were babies, and it’s nice to put one on the board.

“Her form was strong in the early part of the year and Steve (Weston, owner) made the shout to come to the Breeders’ Cup. We came here feeling she was over-priced as she’d been training very well.”

Murphy said: “She broke fairly. Donnacha and I didn’t think she would have the early speed to lead, so I hoped I would get on the back of the right one, and I had Johnny Velazquez (on Ultimate Love) inside me.

“I asked her to switch leads and she took to the track really well, handling it as if it was made for her. It’s a bit surreal. If she hadn’t run in Ireland last time (fifth of six in the Debutante Stakes in August) she would have been fancied.

“Donnacha learned from his dad, he has a small string but finds good horses and doesn’t complicate things. He’s provided me with winners at a very healthy strike-rate.

“It’s my seventh Group One of the year and a lot of them have been on bigger-priced horses. That’s what you work really hard for.”

O’Brien senior, meanwhile, was a proud onlooker, saying of his son’s triumph: “Incredible, it’s hard to believe, Donnacha always had great faith in this filly, he bought her at the sales himself. I’m delighted for Donnacha, it’s a very special day.”

Balding was also thrilled with the performance of the Juddmonte-owned runner-up, who could have a Classic campaign next year.

He said: “She never left the fence and stayed on all the way to the line, I couldn’t be happier.

“It’s (the Guineas) a long way away, but looking at that you would think she will stay.”

Keane added: “We followed the winner the whole way, but I had to wait a stride to get out which might have made the difference. It was a massive run.”