IT’S was a slightly strange racing week. You look at your photos coming through on the newswire. There’s the beach in Laytown in November, apprentices on the Dundalk all-weather, hardy jumping folk well wrapped up in Thurles, Willie supervising big names on the gallops, and Tarnawa across the Atlantic in the Del Mar morning mists.

There may be many who cast a cold eye at this evening’s Breeders’ Cup but not from this quarter. It’s one of the best day’s racing of the year, even if the best of the Europeans do not always compete.

Since its creation in 1984, it has brought us some of the best races and racing moments to savour.

There were disappointments early on – Dancing Brave wilting after his great Arc win. Memorable days when European success was rare – Ridgewood Pearl, Pebbles, Arazi.

That Saturday night in 1991 I chose to stay in alone while all my friends went on the town and watched alone that unforgettable run from the little chesnut two-year-old. Who remembers what happened in the town that night now?

The great victories of brilliant French fillies Miesque and Goldikova in the Mile, up to the more recent win of Enable.

Agonising defeats for Dayjur and Giant’s Causeway and Zenyatta’s narrow failure in her second Classic bid.

Greatest

And remember one of the greatest finishes in Breeders’ Cup history. The 2003 Breeders’ Cup Turf produced the first dead-heat when High Chaparral and Johar fought out an epic finish, with Falbrav a gallant third.

There was Royal Academy and Lester. Da Hoss doing the impossible, but then little was impossible for Michael Dickinson.

There were some sad losses – Go For Wand, George Washington.

You could pull yourself from the doldrums by listening again to great commentaries – “And here he is, the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar.”

“American Pharoah, a Triple Crown winner, a Breeders’ Cup winner, a horse of a lifetime...

“Arrogate STEALS THE SHOW!”

“Zenyatta is dead last … “this …is …UNBELIEVABLE...what a performance, one we’ll never forget.”

And so to tonight. We are Lasix free.

Even if the track will be a bit alien to European runners and it’s the end of a long season, there can be reasonable hope of a few winners coming back westward to Ireland or Britain.

You’d like A Case Of You to put up a good show for connections – it’s a change of temperature in November from Rush beach to Del Mar surf. But surely the track will be too fast for his come-from-behind style over five furlongs. Then again, I thought that last year, went for refreshments and missed Glass Slippers! But this might be Wesley’s day.

Baffert is still there, like it or not and all clean and dandy for this weekend. Gamine looks like his first winner, she’s not had a hard season. There are some short-priced favourites worth taking on but Gamine in the Filly Sprint and Life Is Good in the Dirt Mile look solid.

I really hope they go forward with Love in the Filly and Mare Turf. Pinch a lead and build on it like Seamie did with Highland Reel at Santa Anita.

War Like Goddess has a turn of foot but Love can battle. And this is a far tougher field than Bill Mott’s favourite has faced. Cedric Rossi has quickly made a name for himself and his Rougir has claims.

Audarya is drawn very wide but her run on the heavy in France last time was much better than a brief glance at the form book would indicate. And then there’s Loves Only You, trained for this race. It’s one of the toughest of the evening. Hoping for some love – the head Loves Only You, the heart just Love.

The sprint is east -v- west speed. Jackie’s Warrior is so fast but Dr Schivel is the home town horse. And stay clear of Firenze Fire – it’s his last race – he might want to leave a mark!

The Mile could be mayhem. Fourteen runners. The draw will play a part. The Europeans look strong. Space Blues faces different conditions though. Master Of The Seas is fresh but disappointed at Ascot and the rail may not be the best place. Mother Earth has had a long season but you think she still might give her running. But a feature of this season has been the strike-rate of Paddy Twomey. He rarely missed when aiming at a big one. Her last two runs put Pearls Galore in the mix. At around 12/1, she is value.

The Distaff sees another home short-priced favourite with Letruska, promoted for Horse of the Year by some. But I’m prepared to take her on. She’s travelled a lot and been on the go since January. But Malathaat or Shedaresthedevil?

Three-year-old winners have been of high class - think Royal Delta, Beholder, Untapable and Monomoy Girl. Malathaat just looks a step off them. Shedaresthedevil has also a Del Mar win last time.

So to the Turf title. Hopefully Tarnawa will bring home the prize again to Rosewell, she deserves it, but it’s tougher on this track from out wide. However, she has been helped by the two withdrawals into 11. Of the two Godolphin runners I prefer Walton Street even if a seven-year-old gelding isn’t what you might expect in this turf championship!

And then the race of the night. Brad Cox -v- Brad Cox, two attractive greys. Speed, speed and more speed, from Art Collector, Hot Rod Charlie and Medina Spirit. I’m hoping Essential Quality gets there in the end but surely this track sets it up for Knicks Go. He won last year’s Dirt Mile in dominant fashion and seems to have added the stamina for a mile and two. It’s going to be a long night!