THE feature on the dirt was the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic and this was won in emphatic style by the four-year-old Gun Runner, the Besilu Stables-bred son of Candy Ride (Ride The Rails) and the second winner of this race in his immediate family.

Gun Runner’s dam Quiet Giant (Giant’s Causeway) is a half-sister to Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) and this former Horse of the Year in the USA won the Classic in 2005. He suffered a freak accident following the completion of his first and only season at stud and had to be destroyed. His loss was immense as that sole crop included Horse of the Year Havre De Grace.