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Godolphin’s Yibir wins Breeders' Cup Turf

Dubai - South Korea-owned Knicks Go clinched the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic

Godolphin’s Yibir continued his sensational second half of the year when flashing home to get up in the final strides of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar, USA, on Saturday.

The Dubawi three-year-old had quickened from the rear to capture the Jockey Club Derby on his previous start and once again raced at the back as Tribhuvan and Acclimate opened up daylight over the rest of the field.

Meanwhile, South Korea-owned Knicks Go won the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Yibir crept into contention as the 14 runners bunched leaving the back and quickened strongly after being switched widest of all by William Buick at the top of the straight. He passed the majority of the field in the home stretch, collaring Broome near the line.

The victory of Yibir completed a remarkable Breeders’ Cup for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, who also scored at the meeting with two other sons of Dubawi — Modern Games in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Space Blues in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Charlie Appleby said: “Yibir broke from the gates in the Jockey Club Derby and looked like he was actually going to pull himself up at one stage, but we saw that turn of foot there and we saw it again today.

“William gave him a great ride. It was hard for him as I could see Yibir was really taking him on. As William quite rightly said, to still have that finish in him, it just shows what sort of an engine he has got.

“We felt this horse had a lot of talent, he was galloping really well with all our three-year-old middle-distance horses and he has gone and finished it off today. He is a horse that I had on my radar to take to Dubai and obviously look at the Dubai Sheema Classic with him. Coming back for a Breeders’ Cup next year will definitely be high on his agenda.”

William Buick said: “There was a lot of pace in the race but I didn’t know how Yibir would react. He’s a bit of a complex character and you at Belmont last time where he dropped himself out. To be honest with you, I thought he was doing too much. But, once we turned into the back, he dropped and he was in a good mile-and-a-half rhythm. I was just hoping that he stayed there for the finish because he’s got an amazingly strong finish. Halfway around the home turn I could see Broome had gone, but I was always confident of picking him up.”