Breeders’ Cup bid on long-range radar for Powerful Breeze

Nick Grant
May 1, 2020 3:15 pm

Hugo Palmer looking to America later in year with star filly.

An outing at the Breeders’ Cup could be the prize awaiting Powerful Breeze this season.

The Hugo Palmer-trained filly was a leading contender for Qipco 1000 Guineas honours during the winter months, having impressed on her first two starts as a juvenile before being beaten just a head by Quadrilateral in a thrilling renewal of the Fillies’ Mile.

But an accident in March saw her suffer broken ribs, ruling out a Guineas bid, even a delayed one when racing resumes after being suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Palmer said: “The ribs have just healed and she’s no longer displaying any pain on them.

“We’re not out of the woods with it, we’ll have to be very careful with her and the last thing we’d want is for her to over-extended herself, feel discomfort and possibly never extend herself again.

“There’s been lots of speculation that the 2020 Flat season might be continued longer than its traditional end and if that’s the case, this could be the best year in history to miss the beginning of the year.

“She wouldn’t be back until very late summer anyway, late August would be the earliest we’d see her. It’s hard to pick races as we don’t know exactly when they’re all going to take place, but in my mind I’ve tried to work backwards from the Breeders’ Cup.

“She handles any ground and at Keeneland you can get any ground, so that’s an advantage. The Filly & Mare Turf this year is nine furlongs, so she could, if we wanted to, go in the Mile but she could also stick to her own sex.

“A sharp nine furlongs around Keeneland could suit her very well.”

On the problem trainers with Guineas horses this season are facing, Palmer said: “It must be very, very difficult to have a horse that is very close to being tuned up and ready to run in a Classic race – certainly I think with a horse like her, she would be really crying out for a race by now.”