Roche and Loughnane go for glory at the Breeders' Cup

TUAM jockey Leigh Roche and Monivea trainer David Loughnane, whose base is in the UK, will be targeting success in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in California tonight (Friday).

Roche will be on board Twilight Jet, the 13/2 third favourite, while the Loughnane-trained Go Bears Go is rated an 18/1 shot in the five-furlong Grade 2 race which goes off at 9.50pm at the Del Mar track just north of San Diego.

Twilight Jet recorded a first Group race success last month when an impressive winner under Roche in the Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket. Michael D O'Callaghan's two-year-old was a cut above the opposition and the Kildare trainer since sold a 50 per cent share in his star juvenile to US owner Mike Iavarone.

A winner in Tipperary back in June, Twilight Jet, partnered by Roche, was fifth in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (Group 1) in Newmarket, and third in both the Champagne Stakes (Group 2) at Doncaster and Gimcrack Stakes (Group 2) at York.

Go Bears Go won the GAIN Railway Stakes at The Curragh in June and the Amo Racing owned two-year-old ran well in Group 1 company on his next two starts, finishing third in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh and fourth in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.

Go Bears Go is the first of Loughnane's two stable stars in action with jockey John Velazquez on board both at Del Mar. Hello You, also owned by Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, is available at odds of 8/1 in the $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf over 1 mile (11.10pm).

Hello You won the Group 2 Unibet Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket in September. Previously trained by Ralph Beckett, it was Hello You's third start since switching to Loughnane's yard in Shropshire and that victory, with Ballinderry jockey Rossa Ryan, secured a ticket to the Breeders' Cup.

With $31 million in prizemoney to be won across 14 races, the Breeders' Cup meeting starts with Future Stars Friday, comprised of five juvenile races, before moving on to Championship Saturday which culminates in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

All races are live on Sky Sports Racing and ITV4.