Gezora wins Breeders’ Cup 2025 after Ethical Diamond’s triumph for Willie Mullins
The 28-1 success of Ethical Diamond in the Turf for the legendary National Hunt trainer, Willie Mullins, was the highlight of a memorable and historic afternoon at Del Mar on Saturday which also saw Forever Young become the first ever Japanese-trained winner of the meeting’s showpiece event, the Breeders’ Cup Classic.Mullins has won everything there is to win in National Hunt racing, including the British trainers’ championship and the Grand National for the past two seasons, but Ethical Diamond’s victory in the $6m Turf was a match for anything he has achieved over jumps.Dylan Browne McMonagle was deliberately slow to stride on the five-year-old, who can race too freely if he is close to the lead, and he made steady progress down the back stretch before unleashing an irrestible run five-wide around the home turn.Ethical Diamond swept past Minnie Hauk, the Oaks winner, and Rebel’s Romance, the Turf winner in two of the last three years, to win by a comfortable length-and-a-quarter.“My assistant, David Casey, came up with the plan,” Mullins said.
“I thought, ‘why not? We’re not going to try to win it,We’ll come over here to finish fifth or sixth, hopefully’,Carlisle 12,32 Halpha Soleil 1,02 Lost Frequencies 1.
32 Telepathique 2,02 Florida Dreams (nap) 2,37 Handstands 3,12 Inis Oirr (nb) 3,47 Medieval Gold Huntingdon 12.
48 Mermaids Cave 1.18 Bongo Man 1.48 Pic Roc 2.20 Scavengers Reign 2.55 Pure Carbon 3.
30 Jack Hoola 4.05 Lelantos “He can be a very difficult ride.Now that we have figured out the best tactic for him, it’s turned him inside out.The tactics are a key part to him, and Dylan being the guy he is, he’s very cool, and he executed it perfectly.“I very rarely celebrate before the line, but I think I was celebrating, which is unlike me.
But it’s pretty unlike me to have a winner in the Breeders’ Cup.”Forever Young’s win in the Classic was also a significant moment, as Yoshito Yahagi’s four-year-old turned around the 1-2-3 from last year’s race with Sierra Leone, last year’s winner, and Fierceness.Kempton 1.00 Mbappe 1.30 Alderman 2.
00 Hard Endeavour 2.30 Sarab Star (nb) 3.00 Shader 3.30 Londoner (nap) 4.00 City Cyclone 4.
30 Electric BassPlumpton 1.08 Jamada 1.38 Traveling Soldier 2.08 Daylatedollarshort 2.38 Arqoob 3.
08 Ivane 3,38 Jorebel 4,08 JackstellHereford 1,20 Knightsbridge 1,50 Dakota Star 2.
20 Gris Majeur 2.50 Riviera Walk 3.20 Sun Art 3.50 Doctor Kildare 4.20 Gerard MentorSouthwell 4.
15 Dc Cogent 4,45 Thanos 5,15 Lolabella 5,45 Mooj 6,15 Your Love 6.
45 Mae Amor 7.15 An Bradan Feasa 7.45 T Or Coffey 8.15 Raft UpWolverhampton 4.25 Akirra 5.
00 Angel Numbers 5,30 Deported 6,00 Von Krolock 6,30 My Boy Jack 7,00 Mythical Composer 7.
30 Al Rufaa 8,00 Sam’s Express 8,30 Lady AiyanaFrankie Dettori drew a blank from the final three Grade One rides of his career, finishing sixth on another Japanese-trained runner, Argine, in his last ride on the card in the Mile,The impressive winner of that race, Notable Speech, was a 12th Breeders’ Cup winner for Charlie Appleby and a 10th for his rider, William Buick, while Gezora’s success for Francis-Henri Graffard in the concluding Filly & Mare Turf was the fifth win for Europe at the meeting,So that’s five European-trained winners in the seven turf races at this year’s Breeders’ Cup, a very decent return, and a truly memorable moment as Willie Mullins took the Breeders’ Cup Turf with Ethical Diamond.
She Feels Pretty led them into the stretch, but Gezora had her measure from the furlong pole and ran her down for a comfortable success.1.GEZORA (Mickael Barzalona), 2.She Feels Pretty, 3.Diamond Rain.
A first Breeders’ Cup winner for Francis-Henri Graffard, and almost certainly not the last.OFF AND RUNNING IN THE BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY & MARE TURF!Here’s the closing stages of the Dirt Mile, the official verdict was a head but it looks a lot closer…PHOTO FINISH IN THE BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE! 📸NYSOS beats CITIZEN BULL in a Bob Baffert 1-2...@BreedersCup #BC25 pic.
twitter.com/uhje1j4LMnLatest betting for the Filly & Mare Turf:2-1 Cinderella’s Dream4-1 Diamond Rain & She Feels Pretty5-1 See The Fire12-1 Gezora15-1 Village Voice18-1 barPREVIEW: Filly & Mare Turf, 1m 3f, turfAs ever, there’s a strong European hand to be played in this event, headed by Cinderella’s Dream and Diamond Rain from the Charlie Appleby stable, and Gezora for Francis-Henri Graffard.The former was third in the Group One Sun Chariot last time, while Diamond Rain, the mount of 19-year-old Billy Loughnane, was beaten a head in the Grade One E P Taylor by today’s rival She Feels Pretty back in June.Gezora was well down the field in the Arc last time but has a big chance on her second in the Prix Vermeille prior to that, while See The Fire, a wide-margin winner at York in the spring, is expected to relish the step up to a mile and three furlongs by her trainer, Andrew Balding.Aidan O’Brien’s Bedtime Story has run in nine consecutive G1 races since her last win.
(in a G2), third in Vermeille not far behind Gezora but well beaten at 1m4f in F&M at Ascot and yet to really confirm the form of her run into a one-length second in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly in June.Stellify is another locally-trained runner to consider, she took a Grade Three at Kentucky Downs in September from the front.KEY FORM: G1 E P Taylor Stakes, Woodbine, 16 Aug 25 (She Feels Pretty, Diamond Rain)G1 Prix Vermeille, Longchamp, 7 Sep 25 (Gezora, Bedtime Story)G1 Sun Chariot Stakes, Newmarket, 4 Oct 25 (Cinderella’s Dream)G1 Prix de l’Opera, Longchamp, 5 Oct 25 (See The Fire)G3 Light Wonder Ladies Marathon Invitational, Kentucky Downs, 6 Sep 25 (Stellify)SELECTION: DIAMOND RAINCitizen Bull led everywhere but the final stride there.Agonising for his jockey, Juan Hernandez, as Nysos edges past in the final stride.1.
NYSOS (Flavien Prat), 2.Citizen Bull, 3.Chancer McPatrickBob Baffert has his 21st Breeders’ Cup winner, but which one? It’s a knife-edge photo between Nysos and Citizen Bull …OFF AND RUNNING IN THE DIRT MILE!The connections of Notable Speech are in the interview room and have confirmed that the 2024 2,000 Guineas winner will stay in training as a five-year-old to be aimed at a repeat win in the Mile at Keeneland next year.PREVIEW: Dirt Mile, 1m, dirtDefinitely one of the lesser events on the Breeders’ Cup schedule, and it was diminished further this morning when the vets ruled out MystikDan, who would have set off at single-figure odds.That won’t bother Bob Baffert if Nysos takes the spoils, though, and puts him alongside Aidan O’Brien on top of the all-time list for Breeders’ Cup winners.
Nysos has won his last two starts, including the Grade Three Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita, where he was five-and-a-half in front of Dr Venkman, third home in the Sprint earlier on the card,Full Serrano, last year’s winner and second in the Grade One Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita in September, and another Baffert runner, Citizen Bull, the Juvenile winner here last year, are his main rivals according to the betting,KEY FORM: G3 Triple Bend Stakes, Santa Anita, 7f, 1 Jun 25 (Nysos)G1 Goodwood Stakes, Santa Anita, 1m 1f, 28 Sep 25 (Full Serrano)Shared Belief Stakes, Del Mar, 1m 1f, 31 Aug 25SELECTION: FULL SERRANONo joy for Frankie in the Mile but a fine, composed ride by William Buick, who threaded Notable Speech through a narrow gap against the rail going around the final turn and then unleashed a devastating turn of foot from last year’s 2,000 Guineas winner,1,NOTABLE SPEECH (William Buick), 2.
Formidable Man, 3.The Lion In Winter.Frankie and Argine out of the frame.Going in for the Mile, and Frankie’s final Breeders’ Cup ride …OFF AND RUNNING IN THE BREEDERS’ CUP MILE!Less than 10 minutes to post time for the Mile, and Frankie Dettori’s last Grade One ride as a professional jockey on another Japanese-trained runner, Argine.The latest betting:2-1 Notable Speech7-2 Rhetorical6-1 Sahlan7-1 The Lion In Winter8-1 Johannes11-1 Program Trading14-1 Formidable Man23-1 Argine40-1 barPREVIEW: Mile, 1m, turf And so, after one of the greatest of all riding careers, it is time for Frankie Dettori to bow out, aboard the Japanese-trained Argine in the race where it all began for him at the Breeders’ Cup, aboard Barathea in 1994.
Will he go out with a flying dismount, the acclaim of the Del Mar grandstand and another Grade One win to his name? In all honesty, probably not,But for all that Argine seems to have something to find in this company, she has at least looked very well during morning exercise,Notable Speech is top on ratings and quickened well to win the Woodbine Mile last time, having also won the 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes last year,Sahlan is a fast-improving three-year-old, who won the Moulin last time out with The Lion In Winter less than a length away in third,It was a career-best run for both horses.
Rhetorical, Program Trading and Jonquil were first, second and fourth in the Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland in October.Formidable Man was a Grade One winner at Santa Anita earlier in the year and won over track and trip in a Grade Two last time.It’s also interesting that he has a perfect 5-5 record over track and trip.KEY FORM: G1 Woodbine Mile, Woodbine, 8f, 13 Sep 25 (Notable Speech)G1 Prix du Moulin, Longchamp, 8f, 7 Sep 25 (Sahlan, The Lion In Winter)G1 Coolmore Turf Mile, Keeneland, 8f, 4 Oct 25 (Rhetorical, Program Trading, Jonquil)G2 Del Mar Mile, Del Mar, 30 Aug 25 (Formidable Man)G2 City Of Hope Stakes, Santa Anita, 27 Sep 25 (Johannes, Almendares)SELECTION: SAHLANHere’s the closing stages of the Classic, a landmark moment for Japanese racing.FOREVER YOUNG (フォーエバーヤング) WINS THE LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC FOR JAPAN!#ブリーダーズカップ #競馬 #BC25 @BreedersCup pic.
twitter,com/68jPIju7ECA fantastic result for Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi, and perhaps an overdue win for Forever Young, who got the worst of the interference in the home stretch in an incredibly tight finish to last year’s Kentucky Derby,Ryusei Sakai was sitting close behind the pace from the off and struck for home at the perfect time coming off the bend, carving out a lead that Sierra Leone and Fierceness could not close down,The same three horses as last year fill the frame in the Classic, but crucially for Japanese racing, in a different order,1
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