George Washington to rule Breeders Cup Classic

New Yorkers will be swarming out of the Big Apple like a T-Bird flocks to a Pink Lady on Saturday, all intent on soaking up the atmosphere of the annual racing jamboree that is the Breeders Cup. This year's carnival has landed at Monmouth Park, a tight turning course that favours the more agile runner.

And they don't come more agile than Aidan O'Brien's George Washington. "George" is certainly an enigmatic character and it is this strength of personality that has made him a decidedly dodgy betting proposition this season. If anyone witnessed his antics in the Eclipse at Sandown when he almost threw jockey Seamus Heffernan out of the saddle, they're are as likely to back the four-year-old at the Breeders Cup Classic as a Liberal Democrat is Menzies Campbell.

However, the ability was still there in that Sandown race and what's more, the son of Danehill proved that he now stays this ten-furlong trip. There was no disgrace coming third behind Notnowcato and the Derby winner Authorized, and at 10/1 with SportingBet he looks a decent price to improve on last year's sixth place at the Breeders Cup behind wonder horse Invasor.

The three-year-olds have had a poor time of it recently and since 1992, there have been 13 entrants of that age group - all American Classic winners - and all have lost. For layers on the exchanges, eight of the last nine didn't even make the frame. At a stroke, that rules out three of the top four in the betting of which Curlin , who won the Preakness Stakes and was placed in the other two legs of the US Triple Crown, is the most notable. Oppose him.

The favourite for the Breeders Cup Classic is Lawyer Ron, who went down by a nose to Curlin at Belmont Park last month. Lawyer Ron was caught in the last strides by the youngster in the Jockey Club Gold Cup invitational and although he is a multiple group winner, he is yet to win a race over this trip in three starts. The four-year-old looks too short in the Breeders Cup betting in my book, especially as he finished ninth in this race last year.

The Breeders Cup Classic revolves around George Washington and the three-year-olds. If the youngsters can muster one last hurrah before they are either packed off to stud, or retire for the rest of the season then one of Curlin or Street Sense will be in the thick of the action.

But we saw with Authorized this year, and numerous Derby winners before him, that it is very difficult to get a Classic colt up for an early season contest and then to have him reach peak perfection again several months later, so for this years Breeder Cup get on George Washington with SportingBet to beat a tiring Lawyer Ron.

Verdict: 3pts George Washington @ 10/1 (SportingBet)