Jaysella’s Saturday Selections for 31st October 2026

Jaysella’s Saturday Selections from Newmarket & Koby’s Breeders’ Cup Picks for Friday & Saturday

Newmarket

Horris Hill Stakes (Group 3) 1.40
Bengal Tiger (nap)
Well, no surprise to me to see Bengal Tiger right at the top of the market for the Horris Hill! This No Nay Never colt has been better with every run this term, and coped well enough with heavy ground at Doncaster last time out in the Prospect Stakes to win going away, so I reckon he’ll see out the extra furlong and still have something left coming out of the dip. I’d put a line through the run of Charlie Appleby’s Jassas in the Dewhurst here last time, as he led that Group One as they went past the bushes, and only struggled in that final furlong. Might have more to come. Simon Crisford’s Lex Victoria looked to have a bit about her in the Fillies’ Mile here three weeks ago, but was still a bit green to me. Yeah, gotta be Bengal Tiger that they all have to beat, but Jassas is my number two and Lex Victoria my number three if y’all are tempted into one of them fancy bets!

British Stallion Studs EBF Montrose Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) 2.10
Haven (nb)
Just about the easiest of Aidan O’Brien’s raiding party to back is Haven in the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes. While he’s making hay over in Keeneland, don’t let this filly go under your radar as the British flat racing season draws to a close in just a couple of weeks. You seen her last in the Fillies’ Mile here, giving odds on favourite Musical Times a bit to think about until she got the job done in the final half-furlong, but this is one cliff-top drop in grade to a Listed contest, so assuming she’ll do the business on ground with a bit of cut, I can’t see her being beat. I’ll tell you something for nothing too, Michael Bell’s Bayside View is a steal as an each-way punt, if that’s your bag, so do have have a look, but the one to make Haven work for her money will be the Prix Marcel Boussac fifth, So Lovely, who has proven this going ain’t gonna worry her. Haven to make the most of this chance, with So Lovely makin’ it a Ballydoyle one-two!

German Group One Racecourses James Seymour Stakes (Listed) 2.44
Arabian Light
Playing a home game is Charlie Appleby here with Arabian Light, I reckon, so I’ve gotta put him in front of Jamie Osborne’s big favourite White Birch. I get it that White Birch did go well enough on his first run since the move from John Joseph Murphy in Ireland, though to me he’s a long striding sort who might well need that mile and a half now, but Arabian Light is a Kingman, and although is likely to be back at Meydan this winter, he does go well fresh and knows this course. Hugo Palmer’s Grey Cuban looks sure to be thereabouts, and probably gonna be setting the early pace, so with plenty of form on softer ground should be a factor. But, my head’s with Arabian Light to just have too much finishing pace for White Birch and Grey Cuban at the business end, so gets my vote.

Keeneland (Friday)

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Grade 1) 6.55
Libertango
Jeez, are we excited over here Stateside to see George Boughey’s Libertango? She’s been having a ding-dong of a battle with the brilliant Irish filly Sun Goddess this year right? and I know Caroline & JC rate Sun Goddess as something phenomenal, so by that reckoning Libertango is the one to go in. Plus, it’s been well advertised that George has been doing plenty of gate work with Libertango, cos hey man, this is gonna be fast and furious outta the gate, in real US style! Sure, Flavien Prat don’t wanna get trapped in a pocket rounding that turn, but he’ll be well briefed and has plenty of horse under him, so yeah, Libertango to live up to the hype!

John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade 1) 8.15
Sun Goddess
Man, here we are with the outstanding filly of this season, anywhere, in Sun Goddess, the real deal for Aidan O’Brien! Yeah man, yet again that unassuming Irishman does all his talking on the track, and no shit, with Sun Goddess he’s screaming from the roof of the stand! But hey, both Sun Goddess and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Amusingly are coming outta wide gates in 9 & 10, but you know, Sun Goddess is gonna be even better over a mile than she was in the sprint trips, so that don’t worry me. Sun Goddess to cap off a great season for the great man, don’t miss it!

Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Grade 1) 9.35
Haffner
Yeah right, what a truly international field we got ourselves here for the Juvenile Turf. Like, the home team think they’ve got a special one in How’s Al Today, and man, does this baby like the turf, you know Riley Mott ain’t looked back since that switch, and jeez has he got some finish. I reckon he could set some fractions to match Bacio, and last time here outta Gate 12, Brian Hernandez just cruised him into a great position three off the rail before angling him wide into the home straight. But, man, I’ve gotta say that it’s Haffner I think will take this with Christophe Soumillon just the man to get his timing right. After all, Haffner is a Justify colt, the Triple Crown winner, and just has an edge over Folsom Blues, the other Irish raider for Joseph O’Brien. Man, this is gonna be immense!!

Keeneland (Saturday)

Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1) 5.48
Bacio
Whoa! here we go on Saturday night, where it’s gonna be alright, according to Darin right? Cos it’s Bacio man, the fastest thing on four legs since my Mamma’s kitten woke up the Rattler in the backyard last summer!! Now, the way he won the Nunthorpe at York, where JC said Juan Hernandez took his foot right off the gas to cruise home in second gear, and what Wesley Ward’s boy did in the big Handicap at Royal Ascot, well you gotta yourselves one for the ages here man. The Irish raider, Comanche Brave is gonna find this all too quick I reckon, but I do like Karl Burke’s Miss Yechance, who’s gotta be your bet for win, place or show!! Ya heard it here first!

Makers Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (Grade 1) 7.04
Precise
Right Kids, all about whether Blue Bolt can see out this trip okay. Andrew Balding’s star filly ain’t done nothing wrong this year, winning six on the bounce man, but out wide with plenty of pace on from the off, might she just show a bit early? and then struggle to save a bit for the home straight? I kinda think that’s the one thing that could spoil the perfect campaign, but hey, I’d be as pleased as anyone to see her cap this season off with a win, but…..but….? Should the unthinkable happen, then Aidan O’Brien’s Precise could be the one, with Ryan Moore knowing he can drop here in and wait for it all to open up rounding the home turn, so I’ll take my chance on Precise!

FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (Grade 1) 8.20
Notable Speech
Yeah man, gotta be Notable Speech for Charlie Appleby ahead of Miguel Clement’s Deterministic for this Breeders’ Cup Mile. They’ve got history these two, with Notable Speech just reeling in Deterministic in the final 110 yards in the Woodbine Mile last month, so with Miguel Clement’s Deterministic coming outta Gate 1, Kendrick Carmouche ain’t got no choice but to get a good track position early on. Hey, this is gonna give a big boost to Notable Speech and Wayne Lordan on True Love, while Cieran Fallon on Lake Forest has to go forward with Deterministic. Ryan Moore is on Puerto Rico, so have I missed something there JC? but I’m shouting loud for a Notable Speech win.

Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (Grade 1) 9.36
Diamond Necklace
Oh yeah, what a race to finish the night huh? But, this absolutely has to be set up for a Grade One win for Diamond Necklace, well from my chair anyhow. No shit, this is one fine filly over this mile and a half trip, and her third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was a great effort against the brilliant Daryz on home soil and George Scott’s irrepressible Bay City Roller, given a classy wide passage by Oisin Murphy, reminiscent of Golden Horn under Frankie Dettori. Golden Horn came to end her career in this race too after the Arc, finishing second to Aidan O’Brien’s Found, but I reckon Diamond Necklace is gonna step up in this to win, and we’ll see where she goes next!