THE Breeders’ Cup – to be run on November 4th and 5th of November – is now firmly on the horizon. It remains to be seen just how strong the European raiding party proves to be but the domestic scene is strong and seemingly getting stronger with each week.

There has been some competition for the title of Best Active Racehorse In The World this year (Postponed, A Shin Hikari, Arrogate and Frosted among the contenders), but that argument seems to have been settled, for now, as California Chrome is winning it hands down.

The five-year-old entire made it six out of six this year with arguably his most impressive performance yet in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at the Santa Anita track to which he will be returning for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in a few weeks. He scarcely broke sweat to drub his old adversary, 126-rated Dortmund, while giving him weight.

California Chrome earned a huge 136 Timeform US figure for this and his showdown with Arrogate promises to be something special.

Flintshire’s claims for the Breeders’ Cup Turf suffered a blow when he was beaten easily by another ex-European, Ectot, in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont at the weekend.

However, Flintshire encountered soft ground in New York and is surely far better judged on some mightily impressive wins on firm earlier in the campaign. If you can get 3/1 or bigger about him for Santa Anita then I reckon it is worth taking; the Turf could well end up a lot weaker than it is currently looking.

It was also all change on the betting front for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, with Klimt demoted to behind Gormley and Not This Time having been beaten by the former in the Grade 1 Frontrunner Stakes at Santa Anita at the weekend. That may prove to be an over-reaction, as things just did not go Klimt’s way after a slow start and he closed well from the rear for second place.