Cross Counter, trained by Charlie Appleby’s and under a masterful ride by Kerrin McEvoy, giving Britain and Godolphin a first success in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, with British trained horses coming home second and third, with both Charlie Fellowes’ A Prince Of Arran and Hughie Morrison’s Marmelo looking the likely winners but cut down by Cross Counter coming from virtually last place to win with something in hand
Enable achieving the elusive Arc-Breeders’ Cup Turf double in the same year by battling it out with Magical up the Churchill Downs straight, with rider Frankie Dettori getting the better of Ryan Moore by three-quarters-of-a-length and leaving owner Khaled Abdullah and trainer John Gosden the decision of whether or not to keep Enable in training as a 5yo
Frankie Dettori opening his 2018 Breeders’ Cup account with Expert Eye winning the Mile for trainer Sir Michael Stoute (pictured) and owner Khaled Abdullah
Line Of Duty, the first Galileo colt purchased by Godolphin after an 11-year stand-off from buying Coolmore bred horses, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and giving Charlie Appleby a live classic prospect for next year
Wild Illusion very nearly giving Appleby a second Breeders’ Cup victory when she was caught on the line in the Filly & Miles Turf, going down a neck to Sistercharlie after hauling in the front-running A Racing Beauty who was three-quarters-of-a-length third
Luca Cumani, (pictured), having announced his retirement as a trainer at the end of the yeae, winning Italy’s Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio with God Given ridden by jockey find of the season Jason Whatson
Bryony Frost appearing to do the impossible and stay in the saddle and regain the reins after Black Corton blundered at the third fence, but being unable to catch the two-length Yorkshire-trained Definitly Red in the bet365 Charlie Hall Stakes for Brian Ellison and jockey Danny Cook
Jockey Harry Skelton, emulating his trainer brother Dan, by reaching 100 winners for the season – Dan got to 100 last week in record time
Yorkshire trainer Philip Kirby bagging a treble at Wetherby’s premier Charlie Hall Chase fixture
A treble too for Noel Meade at Down Royal spearheaded by Road To Respect taking the JNwine.com Champion Chase by 16-lenghts and followed up by Snow Falcon in the Grade 2 2m3f chase
And not top be outdone, a treble for Cumbrian trainer Nicky Richards at Ayr
Rose Grissell appointed the BHA’s head of diversity and inclusion
STEWARDS ROOM
…and what hasn’t been so good
Christophe Soumillon drawing heavy criticism for his use of the whip on Breeders Cup third Thunder Snow with trainer Brendan Powell calling it “absolutely brutal” in a tweet: “18 times from turning in. Out of rhythm and unbalanced!!”, adding that he wished the US used the same whip rules as most European countries
Another set-back meaning Douvan will not race this season
A 24-year-old racegoer, “manifestly under the influence of alcoholic beverages”, trying to ride a horse, which he’d taken from a restricted area, on the Churchill Downs track – he was apprehended and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct
Another “administrative error” leading to trainer Alan Jones seeking a rehearing of an unsuccessful appeal against Worcester stewards to get the places reversed in a bumper when it emerged that one of the panel members, Jodie Mogford, assistant trainer to Graeme McPherson, should not have sat on a case involving another license holders
